Never Again
by DeadMan'sHand702
Summary: After saving the world, The Avengers find two orphaned children and decide to give them a home. In addition to their two new members, an age-regressed Loki is dumped on them for rehab and a second chance at using his powers for good. After twelve years of parenthood, if it can be called that, they bring the the team back together to fight Thanos. j3ntheninja coauthors.
1. Marry Me

Marry Me

"I can close the portal!" Natasha cried.

"No, wait!" Tony shouted. "I got a nuke coming through!"

He shifted his flight course so he was heading straight for the portal. "And I know right where to put it."

The next few seconds were a blur and he was dimly aware of Jarvis asking if he should call Miss Potts. "Yeah," Tony said. After all, this was as good as a suicide mission. Steve had been right about lying on the wire and letting the other guy crawl over. Sometimes it was necessary.

The phone rang and Pepper picked up.

"Tony! I'm watching the news! Tell me you're not…" She couldn't finish the sentence.

"I'm sorry, Pep."

He disappeared into the portal.

"Tony! No! Don't do this..." she cries.

"I…have to. Please…" He can't think of anything to say. And then it comes to him.

"Marry me, Pep."

All he can hear is sniffles on the other end of the line, and then her voice comes to him.

"Of course, Tony. Just don't…"

The suit lost power, her image flickering and going out. Tony closed his eyes. It looked like he wouldn't be able to go through on his promise after all.

"RAHR!"

"Gah! What! I'm awake!" Consciousness comes back in a flash, as well as a large green monster standing over him roaring in his face.

"Augh…warn a guy next time, Banner."

The Hulk looks satisfied.

"Please tell me no one kissed me," Tony says. "After all, I'm an engaged man now."


	2. Whats This?

What's This?

Thor and Loki disappear in a flash of blinding blue light, transporting back to their magic castle in the sky. Big deal. They can go do whatever on Asgard. I am perfectly happy here on Earth, thank you. I have a new fiancé and an awesome life to live and I do not need any of their immortal baggage slowing me down. I am the first one to leave, eager to get home to Pepper. I'm about to pull out of my parking spot- a near-perfect parallel parking job might I add- when my whole team starts screaming at me. I slam my foot on the brake and look over at them, annoyed. But they're not looking at me; they're all running towards something in front of my car. Before I have a chance to wonder what it is, I hear a huge sniffle and some of the loudest crying I have ever heard in my life breaks out from the general direction of in front of my hood. Steve and Natasha are the first two to reach whatever it is, and to my surprise they pick up two little girls. Apparently I had just nearly run them over, and judging from the glare Banner was shooting in my direction, that was deemed Socially Unacceptable.

The girls are small, about five years old, and are two of the dirtiest orphans I have ever seen. At least I assumed they were orphans, because honestly, if they had parents they wouldn't be going around and doing things like hurling themselves in front of a man's car. I roll my eyes and get out.

"What's this?"

"You almost ran over these two girls." Banner says in an icy tone.

"I think that's obvious…" I trailed off. It was also obvious that any more remarks I made to him would turn him into the Other Guy, so I held my tongue for once. Let it never be said Tony Stark does not try to accommodate his co-workers.

"They're so cute!" Natasha gushes. Clint looks at her in disbelief. "Well…I mean…for the obvious state of disarray and malnourishment and all…they look in good condition." He nods slowly.

I look them over. Natasha had been at least a little right- I mean, they are pretty (dare I say?) cute… They are both short and small. The one Steve holds has hair the color of the expensive chocolate bars I used to buy Pepper and cream-colored skin. She grips his shirtfront tightly, as if trying to hide from the world in it. It is pretty adorable, actually. Natasha still holds the other one, who is more alert and looking around at us all keenly. She had strange icy blue eyes and auburn hair- come to think of it; it was a perfect mix of Natasha's hair and Clint's hair. I briefly entertain the notion of her being their time-traveling child, but that brings up the question of whose child the other one is. And considering that Banner and I are the only other two with brown hair, and that my hair is darker than his, and that I had just gotten engaged, I quickly drop the thought.

"So…" I attempt lamely. "What are we gonna do about them…?"

"We can't just leave them on the side of the road for people to _run over_," says Banner with a pointed glance at me. I shrug and refrain from arguing the point.

"Does not leaving them on the side of the road involve taking them to the orphanage?"

"I'd say it involves more than just dropping them off at an orphanage," Steve puts in. Stupid me- I should have known his American do-gooder ideals would have kicked in sometime. I sigh.

"What would the illustrious Captain America do?" I ask, trying to minimize the sarcasm in my voice and failing miserably.

"Come ON, Stark!" he says, sounding exasperated. "The least we can do is take them in, if only for a little while."

I am unconvinced, and say as much. Steve's gaze hardens as it typically does right before he pulls his leadership rank on me and forces me into doing something I would never normally do. I sigh, preparing for a long lecture on the Right And Honorable Thing To Do. Before he can begin his inevitable discourse, though, the five-year-old in his arms squirms and begins crying much louder than anyone with that lung capacity should be able to cry.

I raise my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, we're taking them! No sense in making a scene with all these random people around. We'll take them to Stark Tower and then decide from there!"

"Knew you'd see it my way, Stark," Steve says around an armful of screaming five-year-old. He climbs in the drivers' seat of _my car_ and motions me into the passenger seat. I would normally refuse to budge until I am able to pilot my own vehicle, but I am hardly in a position to argue. Hopping in, I prepare to make a snide remark when a squalling kid is shoved into my lap.

"Gah! Ah! What ARE you thinking?" I yell at Steve. But before he can respond the girl amazes us all again and stops her tantrum. She throws her arms around me and squeezes me tight, refusing to let go, and expends the remainder of her tears in the front of my _designer_ shirt. Oh well. At least my eardrums aren't being split any more.

We arrive at the base of the ruined Stark Tower, I didn't realize how bad it was, I should get working, but after we figure out this kid business, I go up and knock on the door. When no one answers, I push it open with the hand that's not holding the little girl and call Pepper on my mobile. She picks up on the first ring.

"Tony! Where are you?"

"I'm...downstairs..." I reply. "Hey, Pep...?"

"Yes?"

"How do you feel about having...kids?"

"Oh, Tony! I...haven't thought of it at all, actually...why were you-"

"Well, start thinking," I cut her off. "I got started early."

"What?"

I hang up on her. Honestly, I can never resist a touch of the dramatic.

She comes downstairs faster than I had expected, her face flushed and her eyes glinting in a look that tells me she is not appreciating the earlier dropped call. She stops dead in the doorway, though, when she sees the children Natasha and I are holding.

_Oops...this doesn't look awkward at all..._

"Er, Pep, I swear it's not what it looks like... You see, I was leaving in the car and I almost ran them over and..."

"You WHAT? Tony!"

"Bit Not Good?" I ask, cringing.

"Yes! You almost ran...?" She trails off. "Just...just come in here, you all. Make yourselves comfortable."

As I pass her, I give her a peck on the cheek. "You're an angel, Pep."

We all settle in to the ground-floor living room of Stark Tower, the only one that hadn't really gotten particularly destroyed in the battle against Loki's Army Of Evil Minions Named Some Obscure Name. Honestly, why Norse gods had such complicated names for things is more than I can grasp. I mean, Army Of Evil is such a more catchy name and is a billion times easier to pronounce! Whatever. I return to the moment at hand, in which the six adults who had saved the world have no idea what to do with the two five-year-olds, Fate has dropped in our way, let alone how to raise them. Pepper seats them on the large couch and begins tending to them like a professional mother. I am stunned- I had no idea she knew how to do that, but I mean she has been taking care of me for God only knows how long, so I guess a couple of five-year-olds were no problem. The rest of us take seats in a rough circle around the small room, chatting about what to do with these two new kids.

_Ding Dong!_

The doorbell cuts through our conversation. Pepper looks at me like _I am taking care of these two small kids you have just dumped on me. Tony Stark, it is your turn to answer the door. _I sigh and get up out of my comfy chair. Honestly? I thought I deserved better. Women!I shall never understand them as long as I live.


	3. I Am Not Babysitting

I Am Not Babysitting!

The conversations are cut short as I move toward the door. Cautiously I answer the knock, praying it is not my parents. Nick Fury is standing there with Thor directly behind, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"May I help you?" I ask boldly.

"Stark, let us in," Fury says strictly.

"Sorry, no can do. I've got things to do, a wedding to plan, no time for silly little social visits," I reply attempting to close the door, but his foot slips between the heavy wood and the frame in the nick of time. Darn.

"I said, let us in, now," he replies stressed.

"Okay, okay, fine." I roll my eyes and allow them entrance into my home.

They walk past me into the living room where the others are gushing over the little girls which I had previously almost ran over with my car, but that's a minor detail.

Everyone sounds their greeting as the two make themselves comfortable.

"Who are they?" Fury asks. He is pointing to the two girls on my couch.

"They are little girls," I respond.

"I know that, Stark. I mean, what are they doing in your house?" Fury corrects.

"Umm... Well... You see..."

"They are the new members to our family," Steve saves.

Before Fury could say anything Thor chimes in.

"I come bearing news." He smiles.

"News of what?" Pepper asks confused.

"Of Loki's punishment! You mortals shall never guess what it was!" he says excitedly.

"What was it?" we all ask in unison.

Thor turns revealing a backpack, the ones used to hold small children. In it sits an age-regressed Loki. He is now about the age of five.

"Oh no... Not another one..." I mumble.

"Relax Stark," Steve assures. "You're telling me that you and Pepper can't handle three little kids?"

"Excuse me? Three? I am NOT taking all of them, let alone Loki!" I respond harshly.

"Tony," Pepper says.

"What? I don't want to raise a kid, let alone three. It's just not going to happen." I reply.

"Tony!" Pepper hisses in the tone she reserves for when I am doing something that is Socially Unacceptable.

"What?" I ask. "Natasha why don't you take the one with auburn hair?"

"I can't have a child. I work for the government, and I am not giving it all up to become a single mom," she responds.

"Why? She already looks like you, so it makes sense for you to take her," I snap.

"Nat, why don't we take her?" Clint asks.

"What are you talking about, Clint?" Natasha asks, rolling her eyes.

"I mean, why don't we take her, and raise her as a family." He places a hand on her shoulder.

"But we aren't a family..." she whispers.

"But we can be..." he replies.

She looks at him confused.

"He means he wants to be with you," I say.

A bit of pink color rushes to her cheeks as she realizes what I said is probably true. Augh. People are so slow at times.

He digs in the pocket of his pants and pulls out a small velvet box. With a quick flick of his wrist the lid opens to reveal a large diamond in a gold placement.

"I was going to do this later, but I guess now is the perfect time, huh?" he blushes. He gets down on one knee. "Will you marry me, Nat?"

"I would love to," she whispers with a large smile. He slides the ring on her finger and stands up. They hug and turn to face us again.

"One down, two to go," I say to myself with pride.

"Who said we were taking the kid?" Natasha asks.

"I just assumed..." I stutter.

"I'm only joking, Tony," she smiles.

"You're nicer when you're engaged. Clint, you should have done this earlier," I remark.

"Thank you, Tony Snark," he says back. I pull a face at him when Pepper's not looking.

"Anyways," Fury says, getting us back on track. "Thor, why don't you take Loki?"

"Why me?" he asks.

"Because he was your brother, you know how to raise him, and besides I'm sure that Jane girl would love to help you," Natasha responds.

"I cannot take him," Thor responds.

"And why not?" I ask.

"Because I do not know this world like the rest of you, so I cannot give him a proper childhood," he answers matter-of-factly.

"Isn't Jane from this planet?" I ask.

"Yes..." Thor responds.

"Then she can help! What's the problem?" I ask.

"Umm... uhh..." he stutters trying to find the right words.

"Exactly! And besides, Steve can help," I add smugly.

"You say what?" Steve asks.

"You heard me. You'll help Thor and Jane because you are the embodiment of America and her values of right and wrong. You would be perfect to help in re-raising the criminal," I say, remembering his speeches to me on the Right Thing To Do and throwing a little of his medicine back in his face.

"Ex-criminal," Thor corrects.

"Details, details."

"Fine! I'll help Thor if, and only IF, he agrees to take Loki and raise him the good old American way," Steve says flustered.

"Agreed," Thor says, giving in.

"One left..." I say joyfully.

"Why don't you want her?" Banner asks.

"I just don't want to have to deal with a child at the moment," I respond.

I look down at the small girl with purple eyes. She looks up at me with a smile. I feel like a father looking down at my child as I remember that I am in fact the only one who can calm her when she cries. Maybe, just maybe, I should take her... Nah! I'm just being foolish. Just then the small girl reaches up and takes my glasses right off my face and puts them one. I reel back in astonishment. No one ever takes my glasses. She is giggling as she puts them on. They are too big, but I have to admit, she looks adorable with them.

"Aw! Can we keep her, Tony?" Pepper asks, giggling along with the girl.

"Can we keep her, sir?" Jarvis chimes in.

"No," I say.

"Come on, Tony," Pepper begs.

"I said no."

"You know you want to, Tony. It's the right thing to do," Steve says.

"Shut up, Steve. What do you know?" I respond.

"I know the difference between right and wrong..." he mutters, throwing my previous comment back at me.

"And besides, Tony. I'll help you," Banner offers.

"Oh, okay. Fine. I'll take her," I break. Darn puppy-dog eyes.

"And do not think of using me as a babysitter," Fury states.

We all laugh, but at the same time, we all know that we will call him to babysit.


	4. Firsts

Firsts

We all go our separate ways later that day. Pepper and I stay in Stark Tower with the little girl whose hair looks like chocolate and whose eyes are such a curious shade of dark violet blue. We decide on naming her Alexandra. Pepper insists on giving her two middle names, which I think is overkill, but she will have it nonetheless. I nod my head and make plans to call her Alex. So, that very day, we welcome Alexandra Meaghan Hope Stark into our family of now three. Oh and I almost forgot- Bruce Banner stays with us, to be a sort of uncle to the kid. I had a feeling we would need all the help he could offer.

Clint and Natasha leave for Russia with their little girl, who they name Verusha Jekaterina Wynter Barton. Talk about a mouthful! I was beginning to think that there is a thing with mothers that makes them want to name their kids really long names. Particularly Russian mothers... Well, that stands until I hear Loki's.

Thor, Steve, and Loki fly off (via Big Guy's handy dandy Thundercloud Express) to New Mexico to live with Jane Foster. We get a very confused email later in the day from Jane inquiring as to why Thor and Steve had shown up on her doorstep asking her if she wanted to be a mother and presenting her with an age-regressed criminal who was supposedly to be receiving a "good old American upbringing" from a Norse god and a superhero who was still adjusting to the modern era. We can't really give her a good answer to that, so we just leave it alone until another email pops up in our inbox. It's from Thor, surprisingly.

_Dear Starks,_

_ This new method of communication is so useful! I believe we shall be able to keep in more touch than I had originally intended. We have arrived at the home of Jane Foster and she has taken us and Loki in. She is still dubious about the merits of raising Loki in the 'good Old American' way, but Steve and I shall soon prove her wrong. Steve has insisted upon giving Loki two very American middle names. Is this a widely practiced custom? It is quite strange... Now my brother is named "Loki Matthew Keaton Odinson." I find it hard to pronounce but in time I expect to get it right. _

_ Fare thee and thine well,_

_ Thor Odinson_

I can't help rolling on the floor in fits of giggles. Pepper swats me with a dish towel, but I can tell she's holding back her own laughter. This is going to be interesting.

First Lost Tooth

(Stark Tower, New York)

"But Daddy..." Alex's squeal meets my ears for the millionth time. "It feels...so...funny!"

I pat her on the head. "It's normal, kiddo. Loose teeth have been around since the beginning of time."

"Beginning of time? Is that a long time ago?"

I pick her up and settle her on my lap. "A very long time, sweetie. Don't worry about it."

"But Daddy..." she whines.

"If you are a good girl and don't complain, then when it's out I'll buy you ice cream," I smile.

Her face lights up like a Christmas tree at the sound of the cold sugary goodness.

"A lot of ice cream?" she asks.

"Hmm..." I ponder. "How does a whole gallon sound?"

" A whole gallon?" she asks in wonder.

"Yep. A whole gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for my little girl. How about you go jump in the car, and we can go get it now," I say.

"I thought you said I couldn't have any until the tooth came out!"

"I did..."

"But..."

I can see her little tongue working its way over to the one loose tooth, but when she finds that it's no longer there, she looks up at me in surprise.

"Its gone!" she says, amazed.

I hold out my hand to reveal her small tooth in the middle of my larger hand.

"Daddy, how did you do that?" she asks.

"Magic," I reply with a smile. "Now, let's go get your ice cream."

She smiles before jumping down off my lap and running to the car. I look up to see Pepper standing behind me with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing, Tony. Nothing at all," She smiles.

"Chunky Monkey?" I ask, indicating her favorite ice cream.

She nods. I rush out to the car to treat my daughter to her prize.

(Jane Foster's House, New Mexico)

"It is all part of growing up, Loki," Thor says.

"Then what do I do with it?" Loki asks, green eyes wide in confusion.

"Put it under your pillow," Jane and I respond in unison.

Thor and Loki turn to us in amazement.

"Do what?" Loki asks.

"Put it under your pillow," I restate.

"Why?" Thor asks.

"So the Tooth Fairy can come." I say this forgetting that Thor and Loki are not from this planet, and the confused looks they are giving me is all part of that. I sigh deeply. I guess I will just have to explain.

"The Tooth Fairy is a fairy that collects baby teeth from boys and girls," I explain.

"Why does this 'Tooth Fairy' do this, Steve?" Thor asks.

"Because it's her job," Jane answers, sounding mildly annoyed with _both_ children.

"She comes in the middle of the night while the child sleeps and takes the tooth, leaving behind money," I finish.

"I do not understand your mortal customs," Thor answers, getting up from his chair.

"We agreed that Loki would have a good old American upbringing, and the Tooth Fairy is just a small part of that," I whisper to him before he can shatter Loki's illusions.

"That does not mean that I must understand it," Thor says, leaving the room. I turn to the endlessly patient Jane and shrug.

"Loki, go put your tooth under your pillow and get ready for bed," Jane says, ruffling the small boy's hair.

(Undisclosed Location, Russia)

"Privet, Verusha," Nat says tenderly. It's amazing, really, how much she changes from the hardcore spy I first met to the mother stroking her child's hair. Not that I'm complaining- I love this new Nat as much as the old one. The little girl turns and runs towards me, arms open for a hug and spin around the room. I oblige happily, swinging her around and hugging her close. She pulls back and opens her mouth wide.

"Look Daddy! I have a loose tooth!" she proclaims proudly in Russian, one of the two languages we normally use around the house.

"I see that, Ace," I reply, using the nickname I had awarded her after she first expressed interest in the sport of archery and began to show natural talent as well as an eagerness to learn. Now she went shooting with me every week and was learning three different languages with Nat.

"When will it come out?" she asks.

"In its own time, Ace."

"When's that?"

I can't help but laugh at the childlike statement. "When it pleases. So there!"

Her face scrunches up in laughter.

"Wanna wrestle, Daddy!"

I playfully groan. "Wrestle? But you always win!"

"S'ok, Daddy. I let you win this time." The solemn blue eyes tell me she will do everything in her power to let me have a chance at winning the utterly unfair wrestling match. I mock-sigh and relent, letting her down. She tackles my legs the next moment and sends me sitting down hard onto the couch. I laugh and pick her up, setting her small frame on top of me as she tries to pin my arms. She soon gives this up and resorts to covering me in pillows and jumping on me.

I shoot my arm up to grab her but instead my hand hits something else and I hear a cry of pain. I lift my head up from under the pillows and have her in my arms in an instant.

"What's wrong, Ace?"

She doesn't reply, just holds her mouth and cries. I gently pry her small fingers away and see that my hand had knocked out her tooth. I take it and hold it out for her to see.

"Look, Ace. Your tooth just came out."

"Really?" The teary eyes dry in a second, and she leans forward to see.

"Eww, it's all bloody!"

"Oh, never mind that. It's your first lost tooth!"

She looks up at me. "Spasibo, pape," she snuggles her head under my chin. I find it amusing that she's thanking me for knocking her tooth out. I may never understand the mind of a child.

"You're welcome, Ace."

First Broken Bone

(Stark Tower, New York)

"Tony Stark!" Pepper's voice rings out in the bathroom. "You are NOT taking Alex racing with you!"

I smear more shaving cream on my face and respond. "Hardly my fault today is 'Take Your Daughter To Work' day..."

"Doesn't mean you're allowed to take a _13-year-old_ in a dangerous racing vehicle with you!"

"You don't trust my driving abilities?" I do my best to look like a kicked puppy.

"That's not the point!"

I cross the bathroom in a single step and gather her into a hug. "Then what is, dear?"

She screws her eyes shut. "Tony...don't do the puppy eyes at me..."

"Who, me?" I say. "Never!"

She opens one eye and looks up. Hey, we all have to lie a little in our careers, right? I am making a very good set of poor-cute-puppy eyes at her. She melts in my arms.

"Oh, okay, you. But don't you DARE pull any sort of dangerous stunt out there today!"

"You're a saint, Pep." I kiss her nose and go back to shaving.

"You're a sneaky devil, Tony!"

"I try."

Alex's enthusiastic squeal over breakfast makes my morning of fooling Pepper worth it. Her grin could have convinced even her mother that this was the nice thing to do. Let it never be said that Tony Stark did not give his daughter a fantastic 13th birthday party.

When I bring out a set of racing gear in exactly her size and (coincidentally) her favorite color, Pepper shoots me a glare that lets me know I am doing something that has resulted in her Extreme Disappointment in me and that I am indeed a Sneaky Rascal. I grin back at her angelically.

"For me?" Alex laughs. "I LOVE them!" She tries them on, and the hot pink jacket, pants, and helmet fit her perfectly. Honestly, I should win the Dad Of The Year award or something.

"Daddy! Go faster!" Alex screams as the car takes a sharp right.

"You want faster?" I ask.

"Yeah!" she screams with excitement.

"Tony Stark, don't you dare go any faster," Pepper's voice rings in through my helmet.

"Sorry, what?" I respond.

"Tony..."

"Sorry, I can't hear you!" I smile.

Alex screams once more as the car takes another sharp turn. _Faster, faster_. _I need to go faster_. There was that little voice inside my head again. Most people's little voices tell them what not to do, and mine usually gets me into trouble, but right now my little girl was having a blast so what was the harm?

I'm rounding the last turn when a pair of headlights come into view. I swerve to avoid the oncoming car, but it's too late. The car catches the back of my car, sending me fishtailing all over the place. Once, twice, thrice, we spin. Then as if everything else wasn't bad enough, the car, of its own accord, decides to flip. Everything's a blur from there.

The next thing I know, I'm climbing out of a smoking car, with Pepper's voice screaming in my ear through the helmet.

"PEP, SHUT UP! THERE IS ALREADY ENOUGH MAYHEM WITHOUT YOU SCREAMING AT ME!" I shout.

"Daddy!" Alex cries.

"Alex! Alex, where are you?" I ask frantically.

I follow her loud cries to the other side of the scrap heap of a car where my little girl is on the ground curled up in a ball crying her eyes out.

"Alex!" I rush to her side and take her into my arms. "It's okay, kiddo. It's okay. We're okay."

"What happened?" Pepper asks.

"We got in a wreck," I respond through the helmet before removing mine and Alex's.

I hold her close while Pepper drives up.

"Ohmigod! Alex! Are you okay?" she yells.

The small thirteen year old in my arms nods to her mother, but she doesn't move from my embrace.

"Can you walk?" Pepper asks.

Alex shakes her head no.

"Come on kiddo," I say picking her up. I take her over to the already awaiting ambulance that just showed up.

"We'll take it from here, Mr. Stark," the taller EMT states taking Alex from me.

"Dad!" Alex says reaching her hand out toward me.

"It's okay. Pepper and I will meet you at the hospital," I try to reassure her.

Once we arrive, I jump out of the car, not only to go see my daughter, but also to get away from a furious Pepper and her incessant "I told you so." We rush to the front desk asking for Alex. The nurse points us in the general direction, and I take off running. I run through all the long white corridors until I find a doctor outside of a room.

"Is my daughter in there?" I ask.

"And you are?" he responds.

"I'm Alex Stark's father. Tony Stark, maybe you have heard of me?" I reply, winded.

"Oh, yes. She's in here," he says opening the grey door behind him.

Without a word of thanks, which Tony Stark does not give, I rush into see my little girl in the bed with her right leg in a pure white cast.

"Hi, Dad," she says with a weak smile.

"Alex, are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she whispers. "Just a broken leg."

"At least thats all," I respond, trying to catch my breath.

"That's all? That's all?" Pepper screams. "You could have killed her! And yourself!"

"Calm down, Mom. It was an accident," Alex defends me.

"This is why I didn't want her going in the first place!" Pepper yells.

"Oh so this is my fault?" I ask, offended.

"Yes!" Pepper replies.

"Calm down! I wanted to go! It's fine now! Can we just go home?" Alex asks, tired.

"Sure, sweetie," I reply, giving Pepper a strained smile. "Lets get out of here."

Later that day, I am making supper for my genius billionaire father husband and his daughter. I still haven't really recovered from the fright Tony and Alex gave me earlier, and probably won't for a while. So I turned to the kitchen, trying to find peace somewhere in the myriad of smells and dishes to cook. I finish two heaping plates of spaghetti, Tony and Alex's favorite food, and walk upstairs to find them.

"Tony! Alex! Din-"

I cut my yell short as I walk into the airy TV room and find them both asleep on the couch watching Mythbusters. His arm is around her shoulders, and her face is content. I smile to myself and back out of the room after muting the TV. The spaghetti could keep for a while.

(Jane Foster's House, New Mexico)

I, Captain Steve Rogers, have seen a lot of strange things in my lifetime. But this definitely tops the list.

"You want to do whaaat?"

"You heard me correctly. It seems that this ritual of attending the park of water is essential in a 'good old American upbringing,' and we agreed upon Loki having one."

"Yeah, but..."

"Do not argue, Steve. We have already bought my brother a 'swimming suit.'"

Jane enters the room, leading a shy Loki by the hand. He's wearing a small pair of swim trunks, patterned in a loud green and black floral print. I put my face in my hands.

"Tell me Thor did not go shopping."

Jane nods. "Easier than I expected, actually. He only broke two things."

I sigh. It looks like my fate is sealed.

As we enter the tall gates, I wonder whether matching the color of one's lady's swimsuit is a custom on Asgard. If so, Thor had done a perfect job of it. His navy blue trunks matched the hue of Jane's modestly pretty suit exactly.

They diverge from our path not long after, most likely to go have a "romantic" time on the lazy river. Oh, well. That means I am stuck with Loki. It's not that bad, right? Famous last words.

"What about that ride?" I ask Loki. He just shakes his head in response.

"Okay, Loki, what's the matter?" I ask after about half an hour of just walking around.

"Nothing," he whispers.

"There has to be something wrong. You haven't wanted to do anything," I prod, determined to get an answer.

"I... I can't swim," he admits.

Well, that is one part of the 'good old American upbringing' he has missed. I decide to make up for it and teach him.

"Come on, Loki. We can go learn in the shallow part of the lazy river." He reluctantly follows me into the beach entrance and the lessons begin.

I hold Loki close to me as I step into the river. He holds on for dear life as the water touches him.

"Uncle Steve, I don't want to do this any more," he says, tears evident in his six-year-old eyes.

"It's okay, Loki. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"How do you know?" he asks scared.

"Just trust me."

He nods. I place him down in the water, but I don't let go. However, that does not seem to stop him from screaming.

"Don't worry, I have you," I say.

He quiets down, and listens to me. I move him so that he is on his stomach, my hands holding him so he is still slightly above the water.

"Okay, first, you need to kick."

"Kick?" he asks.

"Yes, just kick your feet."

He does as I say and kicks his feet, splashing water behind him.

"Good! Now move your arms," I say.

He again complies to my requests. As he does, I drop my arms from out of under him. He starts moving forward down the river before he realizes that I am no longer there holding him up. He stops and turns just as I catch up and pick him up.

"You did it, Loki! See! I told you it wasn't hard!" I smile proudly down at him.

"I did it!" he says triumphantly, a grin splitting his face.

I smile back at him, wondering how this age-regressed ex-supercriminal had stolen my heart so easily.

"Let's go show Thor and Jane," I suggest. His face lights up instantly.

"Yeah!"

We find them in the wave pool.

"So now the little man can swim?" Thor asks.

"Yes I can!" Loki proudly proclaims.

"Let us see!"

Loki promptly takes off, swimming all over the place. He struggles a little with the waves but soon overcomes his awkwardness and cuts through the water gracefully.

"Good job, Steve," Jane congratulates me.

"You have not taught him the other styles of swimming?" Thor asks.

"Nope, I thought I'd leave that up to you," I reply, not ready for another swimming lesson.

"Very well. If I must. Come here, Loki!"

Loki swims over. "Yes?"

"I'm going to teach you how to perform the breaststroke. Now..."

I tune out the remainder of the lesson, already knowing the stroke and not needing Asgardian advice from the 'god of thunder.' Instead, I spend a few minutes in conversation with Jane before a gleeful shout breaks through our talk.

"Look, Uncle Steve!" Loki calls. "I can do the breaststroke!" Jane and I look over and see him proudly doing the breaststroke. And heading for the wall, pretty fast.

"Wait! There's a wall...!" I yell, but I'm too late. He has already crashed face-first into the stone enclosure, propelled by a wave.

"Loki!" Jane screams, running toward the possibly injured boy. Thor, as if just noticing what has happened, grabs Loki and brings him up out of the water and to Jane and myself. He has both hands clamped firmly on his face, and refuses to let go. Finally, Thor gently takes his hands away and what we see is a pretty nasty cut on the bridge of his nose and the bone underneath bent slightly out of place.

Thor mutters something that I'm pretty sure is the Asgardian equivalent of cursing. I narrow my eyes at him. He sighs and Jane takes over, holding Loki and shushing him with all the care of a mother.

"You need to reset it before we go to the hospital because if not, it could do some serious damage," I inform her.

"I know, Steve," she hisses. "But I am not going to be the one to do it."

Thor starts advancing.

"Thor, don't even think about it, so help me!" she warns him icily. "Steve?"

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you seem to know a lot about a broken nose," she responds.

"But..." She glares at me. "Okay, okay."

I kneel down in front of Loki.

"Oookay. Um, this might hurt a little..." I curse myself internally. I have to remember not to talk to him like he's a soldier. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _I reach toward his face, and he steels himself.

Resetting the bone is really quite easy, but by the way he howls you would not think it. I console myself with the knowledge that I have just saved the kid from a lifetime of crooked face. We leave the waterpark in favor of the hospital, and it is one of our 'good old American' experiences that I really find myself wanting to forget.

(Undisclosed Location, Russia)

It is the end of the week in the smaller kids' combat class, which means that the parents get to come in and observe the progress their children are making. Natasha and I go with well-earned pride. Our little Verusha is the first in her class and showing so much proficiency at the sport that a promotion to the twelve-year-olds' class was being spoken of when she was only ten.

We take our seats close to the mats, eager to watch our little girl. The class comes out and lines up before their teacher. The first demonstration is hand-to-hand combat, with one side of the class attacking and the other side demonstrating basic self-defense techniques against attacks such as punches and kicks. They also do beginners' gun and knife-disarming techniques using rubber weapons. Of course, Verusha is stellar. Then they do combinations of moves, looking like old Japanese warriors or something, all in unison with powerful shouts at each strike.

The last demonstration is board-breaking. Every kid gets a pine plank- except ours. She gets a small brick. The teacher comes over to us and informs us she had asked to try to break bricks many times before, and that she needed our permission before trying such a stunt. I am about to firmly decline but Nat cuts me off.

"Of course she can."

My eyes widen. "Are you sure...?"

"Sure, Clint. She'll do fine."

I sit back, not reassured, and prepare to watch the little girl who used to wrestle me try and break bricks with her bare hands. Every kid in the class goes before her, breaking their boards neatly in half with a satisfying _snap_. Then it's her turn. She stands before the brick, staring it down. Slowly, she lines up her hit. _One...two..._ she brings her closed fist down to the brick's surface each time, making sure she has the angle exactly right. Then- _three!_ she strikes the brick with all the force she can muster. I can see it in slow motion. She overextends her small arm. It is going to hit at the wrong angle. I barely have time to suck in a breath before it happens. We hear a faint _crack_- but the brick is still intact. Verusha drops to her knees and clutches at her arm. I leap up and run over to her.

"Ace! Are you okay?"

She reaches out to me with one hand, cradling the other against her chest protectively. By now, Nat has appeared at my side and is talking to her in Russian, soothing words coming out of her mouth faster than I have ever seen her talk. Poor Verusha is bravely trying to hold back her tears. I sit next to her and gently take her arm, my adult hands dwarfing it. I've seen broken bones before and I know how to set one, but I don't know how to do it without causing my little girl more pain. Nat sees my thoughts as I think them and nods at me. I draw in a breath and push the teacher away.

"We have this," I tell him. He backs away, herding the other kids to their parents. I move Verusha to my lap and carefully pry her arm away from her chest, handing it over to Nat. I smooth my daughter's hair back from her face, which is red from holding in tears. I bring my head to hers and whisper in her ear.

"It's okay if you need to cry, Ace. No one will think less of you if you do."

She buries her head in my chest, looking away from her arm. I cradle her head gently in my left hand and stroke her hair.

"This is going to hurt a lot, malyutka," Nat says. "I'm sorry. You ready?"

Verusha nods and screws her eyes shut. I hold her softly but firmly. Nat takes a breath and sets the arm in one fluid motion. Our child yells in pain and then (finally) starts to cry. I hold her as Nat wraps the arm up in an Ace bandage to stabilize it until we can get the cast on. I let her expend the remainder of her tears in my shirt as Nat strokes her back, and a few minutes later she is only sniffling.

"Look, it's got your name on it," I say softly. She looks at the bandage and gives a small smile. I have to admit, even my heart twists a little when I see it. My face must have shown it, because she reaches up and a ten-year-old hand pats my cheek.

"Don't worry, pape. Everything's going to be fine."

Later on Nat and I drive home after getting a cast put on our daughter's arm. She is sleeping peacefully in the backseat, all traces of her former pain gone.

"I saw you tearing up back there," Nat says quietly. "Don't bother denying it."

I smile and nod slowly. "I won't."


	5. Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen

The sweet sixteen. A large party thrown by the parents to celebrate a milestone in the child's life. Every child needs one, and everyone is different. Girls buy expensive dresses and have large cocktail parties to show off, boys get a chance to impress girls. It's what every child looks forward to, and now the time has finally come to celebrate, so grab your dresses and tuxedos and put on your dancing shoes. It's time to PARTY!

(Stark Tower, New York)

"I can't believe it's finally here!" I scream from the balcony at the top of Stark Tower.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Dad asks, pouring himself a drink.

"Dad, it's only the best day of my life! I am becoming a woman and I get to throw a party to prove it! I can't wait for the party!" I squeal.

"And exactly how much am _I_ paying for this party?" He raises his eyebrow at me.

"Don't worry about it, Dad," I reply.

"I think I should, if you are in charge."

"Tony, don't worry, we aren't bankrupt... yet," Mom winks.

"Uh, Pepper?" he asks, scared.

Mom leads me out of the room to go and get ready for my big day.

I fiddle with the hem of the dress as Dad drives down the street in the Hot Pink Ferrari toward the hall in which my sixteen is to be held. My dress is well above my knee, much to my father's discomfort, and one shouldered, only by a thin piece of fabric though. The color is a soft baby girl pink with a hot pink sash at the empire waistline. The bust is completely covered in sparkly diamonds. The skirt is almost a bell shape, with the same diamonds starting in large quantities at the base and thinning out as it moves up. Mom said it was perfect, and I agree.

As we drive through the brightly lit streets, I have to stop Dad complaining about driving the girly car more than once. My nerves grow more tense as we near the building, a large Marriott hotel. We have, well more like _Dad_ has, rented out the entire top floor ballroom for my party of three hundred guests, not including family.

He pulls up and honks the horn loudly. The guests, who are waiting outside for me, turn to see the car, and me. Gasps and compliments rush around the crowd as they take in the Ferrari and me. Dad comes around and opens my door. Some girls scream over my dress and five inch heels as I step out of the car.

"Excuse me!" Dad says over the crowd. Everyone stops talking and turns to see what is going on, honestly, I don't even know.

"Well, since I have you all out here I figured now was the best time to say, Alex, you will always be my little girl, and I know you are growing up, and I wanted to say that you are the best daughter a dad like me can have. So, here." He hands the keys to the Ferrari over to me, just as a roar of applause erupts.

"Aw! Thank you, Daddy!" I hug him tightly.

"Now, Let's party!" Tony says, keeping an arm around me.

"Tony!" Mom scolds.

"What? Work hard, party harder!" he replies, drawing her close and kissing her hard. She blushes.

I laugh as we all head up to the party of the century.

(Jane Foster's House, New Mexico)

"Uh, Thor? I'm not sure if I even want to celebrate..." I say. But he stands firm in his decision to take us all out to dinner at a really fancy restaurant just for my 16th birthday. I really don't make a big deal out of birthdays, but apparently it was all part of a 'good American upbringing,' a phrase often used when Jane or Thor or Uncle Steve is trying to convince the others to do something that usually results in my embarassment. I sigh.

"Go on and dress up a little," Thor encourages me. "It is, after all, a five star restaurant."

I put my head in my hands and trudge up to my room.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly," the pretty blond hostess says with a smile.

We all sit around a table in the middle of the place. It's insanely fancy, with ornate curtains draped everywhere and soft piano music floating through the air. The only distraction comes from the bar not far off to the left.

"Oh, a bar," Steve says with a smile.

Thor perks up his ears at one of the only American terms he knows. "I do believe I shall grace the bar with my presence before the night is out."

"Don't even think about it," I mutter. "I am not going to be embarrassed on _my_ birthday."

"Loki, it's okay. If the men want to drink and make fools of themselves, let them. It's not our place to say what they should do," Jane intersects.

"Loki is becoming a man, so why don't you join us?" Thor asks with a smirk.

"Really?" I brighten up immediately.

"Absolutely not! Thor, if you even dare...you KNOW it's illegal!" Steve shoots all my hopes down. Good old Uncle Sam.

Jane pats my hand. "It's okay, honey, let's just order."

Dinner is surprisingly good, and everything goes well until the waiter informs Steve and Thor of the two-for-one wine special. I sigh. This is going to be a long night. Thor and Steve leave the table to "check out the special." Leaving me alone with Jane.

In no time Thor is holding up a bottle of brown liquid, not wine if you ask me. After a quick swig, he begins the torture. He starts telling old Asgardian stories, most of which involve picking up and spending the night with different women. I suppose this is part of my 'becoming a man,' and I'm not so sure if I like it.

After a particularly long and disgusting story, I glance over the table at Jane. I'm amazed that, as Thor's girlfriend, she can hold her composure through these stories. I roll my eyes and briefly consider going over and dragging Thor out of the bar by force, but I know he can easily overpower me even when he's drunk. So I do the next best thing.

"I can't take this anymore," I mutter. I get up from the table leaving a stunned Jane alone.

I walk out of the restaurant and into the chilly night air. The stairs are looking particularly comfortable considering Steve has the keys and he is drinking with Thor. This is going to be a long night.

I stare up at the sky, wondering if I look hard enough I might be able to catch a glimpse of Asgard. Of course the New Mexico sky is not obliging, and so I stare back at the ground again. I hear the door of the restaurant open and heels softly clink over to my stair. Jane sits down next to me and puts her arm around my shoulders.

We sit like that for a while, me staring at the ground and steadfastly refusing to look her in the eye. Eventually she speaks up.

"Loki, I know Thor and Steve are being idiots tonight..."

"Yeah, I could see that," I say bitterly. "Why do they even bring us along if they know all they're gonna do is get drunk and not remember anything the next day?"

She shakes her head. "I don't know."

I look at her face for the first time and see that she's looking up into the stars as if for answers.

"Why do we agree to come along?" I ask. "Why do we even put ourselves through this?"

Her hand pats my shoulder gently. "Sometimes we do things and we don't know exactly why. I know they were intending to give you a really good party though."

"And then they saw the bar."

She sighs. "Yes, well, no one is perfect. Asgardian or original superhero, Thor and Steve are still just guys."

I manage a laugh. "Is that an insult to all us males?"

She chuckles. "No, just...an observation."

We sit in silence for a while longer. Then she says something that makes me think.

"You know, sometimes people mess up. And sometimes we have to forgive them and let them have a second chance at things. No one can ever measure up to all of our expectations, and that's just how life is."

I look over at her. "Since when did you become my psychiatrist?" I say it jokingly, though, and the unspoken words _thank you, Jane_ pass between us. She just smiles and squeezes my shoulder.

"Happy 16th, kiddo."

(Undisclosed Location, Russia)

We crouch outside the artificially lit compound, all huddled under a single blanket to shelter us from the pouring rain. I go over my things one last time, plucking my bowstring and making sure my quiver is fully stocked. My electronic gauntlet shows me that all my arrowheads are in working order. Beside me, my mother looks over her cuffs and the small arc of blue electricity tells me they're fully charged. On my other side, my pape plucks his bowstring in the same manner I just did. After all, I learned from him.

"Ready?" My mom asks. I nod. Dad nods.

"Comm check," he says. I touch the radio in my ear.

"Tango present."

"Bravo present," comes mom's voice.

"Alpha present," says Dad. "Move out."

We pull our waterproof hoods over our faces and split up. It's my job to take down the communications of the place we're busting tonight, and i had found exactly the best way to do it. Their comm tower is high up, far away, and small. Mildly challenging. Pape taught me that the best way to aim at a target like that is from up above, so I find the tallest tree I can, sling my bow over my back, and climb it. I straddle a branch about fifty feet up and set up my escape rope. Once they trace the shot back to me this tree will be torn down by machine guns. I have exactly thirty seconds from when my arrow makes contact to get out of here. I grin and bring my bow over my head. I key a number sequence into my gauntlet and my quiver silently whirrs, arming my arrow.

I raise my bow and set my right hand to my cheek. Breathing evenly, I block out the rest of the world. My vision narrows to just my arrow tip and my target. _Breathe in... breathe out...and release!_ The arrow flies from my bowstring, and the distant web of electricity lets me know I've hit my target. I waste precious seconds in replacing my bow over my back, and then I am sliding down the rope so fast it nearly burns holes in my gloves. I leave the rope; there's no point in bringing it along, and sprint away from the tree as fast as I am able.

Exactly thirty seconds later, I am thrown by the giant explosion that is the ancient tree collapsing on itself. I know Mom and Dad are in the middle of the compound somewhere, rounding up the illegal drug ring we were here to bust. I am normally given specific instructions to get out and stay in a safe place when the fighting starts, but this mission is a special one. It is the first time I get to go in and fight alongside my parents. I spring up from the leafy ground and run into the gate that Dad had blown wide open (with the explosive arrows I had helped him manufacture, thank you very much) and jump over a low fence, heading for the interior of the building.

Everything is in chaos because their communications went out. The only radios that work are ours, and I hear Dad in mine.

"Where are you, Tango?"

"Joining the party now." I skid around a corner and fly into the room swinging, knocking three of the guys off Dad. We go back to back, and fight off our attackers as we wait for Mom to enact the next part of the plan. We hear her in our radios just before she does.

"Lights out in three...two...one..."

On one we flick on the night vision in our goggles and everything becomes a ghostly green. No one else has them and so we are the now only people who can see. We finish them off easily, tying them up for the clean up team to take care of.

One of the leaders tries to put up a fight, glaring up at us from where he's tied down on the floor.

"So, ya start 'em that young, eh?" he says with a pointed glance at me. Mom coolly nods back at him while Dad pretends not to hear.

"I'm talkin' to you, big boy! Ya lettin' the government turn your little family into next year's model spies?"

I can tell from the way Dad straightens and turns around that this fellow is going to be leaving with more injuries than he has right now. He strides over to him and kneels down, bringing his face level with the criminal's.

"Say that again, sir." His eyes are twin chips of ice.

"I said, you lettin-"

He's cut off by a powerful backhand from Dad. I put a hand on his shoulder and tug him away from the guy.

"Yeah, that's right. Let yer little girl hold ya back," he says arrogantly. I squat down beside him.

"Let's get one thing straight between us," I say.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You can lie. You can cheat. You can steal. Heck, you can operate drug rings like this just for us to have something to do on Friday nights. You can do all this and more, if the law doesn't catch you like it did tonight."

"Go on, missy."

"But you canNOT waltz in here like you just did and insult my family like that. You canNOT badmouth my mother or my father, and you canNOT badmouth us. Got it?"

"Oh, look out, she's angry. Whatcha gonna do, slap me?"

I rear back and punch him hard in the eye. He slumps forward, unconscious.

"Nah, I'll just do that," I say, getting up and wiping my hands on my pants. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see my parents looking at me with a mix of pride and scolding. Surprisingly, it's Dad who congratulates me first.

"Good job, Ace. I didn't know you had that in you." I grin.

"Me either."

Mom laughs and comes forward. "Well...your punches certainly have improved," she says, jokingly. I can see the pride shining in her eyes, though.

"Spasibo, mama," I reply in Russian. She smiles and turns to Dad.

"I think now is the time."

He nods and takes his backpack off, laying it out on the floor. I watch, confused and curious. Out of it he draws a shining object that is folded over on itself. I gasp.

"Is that...?" I stutter. He grins and flicks his wrist. The folded metal springs out into a shiny silver bow. He hands it to me. it's an expanding bow, just like Dad's!

"S Dnem Rozhdeniya , Verusha," mama says.

"Happy birthday, Ace," pape echoes.

I hold the bow in wonder, turning it over and plucking the string.

"Can I shoot it?" I ask excitedly. Dad nods and takes out his own bow, sending an arrow high into the rafters of the place before I can blink. I slowly take an arrow from my quiver and go through the ritual I have known forever. Set arrow on string. Pull back. Anchor right hand on cheek. Focus... take your aim... breathe in... breathe out... release! My arrow splits his and buries itself in the wooden post. I turn back to my parents.

"Well done, Ace," breathes Dad in amazement. I squeal and gather our family into a hug. This has been the sweetest 16 ever.

(S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ)

The man with the eyepatch sits behind a large mahogany desk, going through papers and reports of goings-on worldwide. He is about to take a coffee break- really, he doesn't get enough of those for all the work he does around here- when the door to his office slams open and a courier comes in, breathless, and plops an envelope down on his desk. It is only labelled 'Dark Energy Research Dept.' and he automatically knows it's important. He opens it and a single sheet of paper is inside, with a chart stapled to the back. Reading it, his good eye widens and he sits back down in his chair. Years ago Maria Hill had asked him if the Avengers would ever come back together, and he had responded yes they would, because we will need them. Now is the time to test that theory.


	6. Avengers Assemble

Avengers Assemble

As we pull up to the building in New York known as Stark Tower, Fury is standing out front, waiting for us. He seems out of place in the sunny New York sidewalk, all flapping black trenchcoat and intimidating black eyepatch. We all get out, luggage in hand. Fury nods.

"How are you, Loki?" he asks.

"Fine, sir," I respond. He again nods. Is that all the man can do?

"What are we waiting on?" Jane asks.

"The others," Fury responds.

"The Starks are not in their own building?" Thor questions.

"No. They decided to head down to Malibu for the weekend. They will be arriving shortly."

"Tony is never on time," Steve grumbles.

Just then, a shiny red Rolls Royce screams around the corner and screeches to a halt a few feet from where we stand. I jump, startled. Tony Stark steps out first.

"Hello, boys," he says. "Sorry, Jarvis is too considerate of a driver for the New York traffic. I had to take over halfway home." He glares at the car, and a British voice rings out in the air.

"Sorry, sir."

A pretty blonde woman comes out of the passenger seat.

"Uh, meet my wife, Pepper."

We all shake her hand. She seems nice. She and Jane hit it off right away, chatting on like old friends after the first few minutes.

Tony looks around anxiously.

"What ARE you doing, Stark?" Fury asks.

"Er...looking for my daughter..." He trails off as the sound of brakes and a high-octane engine come from a block down. "Ah. Found her!"

I look down the street and a Ferrari in the brightest shade of pink I have ever seen comes roaring around the corner. It stops short in front of the Tower and its engine cuts off with a growl. A girl steps out. I clearly remember the only coherent thought in my brain being _whoa._ She is beautiful. She is about average height and tan, obviously just back from the beach, with the body of a supermodel and soft waves of chocolate brown hair falling nearly to her waist. A short pair of white beach shorts, a loose faded tank top, sandals, and big round hot pink sunglasses complete her look. She flips the keys to the Ferrari around her finger and deposits them in her pocket before turning to face us. She looks at me and I can just _feel_ my face turning red. Luckily, she brushes past Fury without a second glance and struts into the double glass doors of Stark Tower, ignoring the rest of us.

_Well, I just made a proper idiot of myself and no mistake._

While I'm still scolding myself, a black car drives up. It's sleek and shiny, with a logo on the side that can only belong to a Maserati. The engine steadily purrs and cuts off. Its driver steps out, and I recognize him as Hawkeye, or Clint Barton. He wears a tailored suit and dark sunglasses that make him look like a government agent. A lady emerges from the other side of the vehicle, dressed in a pair of black pants, tall boots, and a red jacket that matches her fiery hair. Of course- Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Wow. I hadn't realized she was so...well, short. I am easily a few inches taller than her, but that does nothing to reassure me that she can't take me down in three strikes. In fact, I am pretty sure she can. Then the back door opens and a girl my age comes out. She is shorter than me as well, but gives off the same aura of control and quiet power that lets me know I am in the presence of a trained fighter. She wears dark jeans, a pair of well-worn black Converse, a white shirt, and a black jacket with a wide collar. Her long hair lights up all shades of chestnut and red as the light hits it. Her skin is a shade lighter than mine and her eyes are striking- an extremely light, icy blue. She wears a strange glove on her left hand that only covers the middle of her palm. I briefly wonder what it is before Fury glares at Mr. Stark and the billionaire sighs and invites us all into his home.

We regroup in the living room on the top floor of Stark Tower. After Tony got all the adults a drink (he had to refuse the Russian child a glass of 80 proof vodka), we all settled in a rough circle. I end up on a comfortable couch next to Stark's daughter. She sits ladylike, ankles crossed, and refuses to speak with me. It's nearly all I can do to keep calm and not make more of a fool of myself. Fury takes his place, standing at the head of the group, and gets us all to shut up.

"Why did you gather us?" Steve asks.

"Well, it might all be nothing but just in case, I wanted you all in one place. It's easier that way," he says.

"What? What's wrong, Fury?" A man I can't identify speaks up. He's kept quiet the whole time, even when the adults were socializing. Before I can even wonder who he is Fury answers.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't even know, Doctor. I assume you all recall the Tesseract?"

We all nod. I remember the cube clearly, but for some reason cannot recall exactly what its purpose was or what it did.

"Well, we received a message from Asgard yesterday. It was in English rather than Norse- they must have needed us to get the message immediately rather than wait for Thor to translate- and it informed us that..." he pauses and draws in a breath. "...the Tesseract has disappeared from Odin's palace."

This throws the whole room into an uproar. Apparently the cube was a bad thing? or it could be used for evil? I don't know and I don't dare ask.

Eventually Steve speaks up for the group. "I thought you said it was permanently out of our reach, Fury."

"I did, Cap," Fury says, sounding tired. "It was sent back to Odin, who is its rightful owner."

"And it just- _poof_- vanished into thin air?"

"Yes. That is perhaps the most disturbing thing of all."

"Why?"

"Nothing can penetrate the walls of Odin's treasury. At least nothing we know of, and considering that this new _thing_ has baffled Asgardian and Earth-dwelling scientists alike, we figure we're in a pretty bad way."

Everyone sits back and absorbs this new information.

"We wanted to gather the Avengers Initiative once more to defend the Earth, should things come to that. I still have faith in you as a team, and I hope my faith will be realized."

Silence falls for a moment, and each member of the old team has an introspective look. I know Fury's comment has hit home. One by one they nod. Fury's expression shifts ever so slightly, and I can see the relief in the lines around his eye.

"Now all we need is a place for the team to live- _together_- until this threat is dealt with," the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. states, his gaze creeping over to Mr. Stark. The billionaire's eyebrows rise in astonishment and he points at himself questioningly. Fury nods.

"Wait. You want me, Tony Stark, who by your account does not play well with others, to live with them?" Tony asks, incredulous.

"Yes, Tony, I do," Fury responds.

Tony's daughter sits up straighter next to me and takes off her sunglasses, looking hard at Fury over their hot pink rims. "You're insane." Without them shading her eyes, I can now see their color, a brilliant deep violet.

"Is there a problem?" Fury asks her.

"Yeah, there is. You couldn't have done this a month later?" she asks.

He looks at her, confused.

"It's Alex's birthday in two weeks," Pepper answers, sighing.

So her name is Alex.

Fury glances heavenward, as if pleading for patience.

"Uh, Alex?" Pepper says. "You might want to rethink your decision."

"Why?" she says, annoyed.

"Because we are talking about the fate of the world as we know it here, darling." Pepper's voice takes on a note of steel.

Alex gazes around the room with the disdain of a true billionaire's daughter. "Fine. But don't expect me to like it!"

I let out a breath that I didn't realize I'd been holding. Alex sits back, heaving a sigh. I cast a sideways glance at her. She is the perfect picture of injured dignity. I have to hold in a laugh- it's the exact expression her dad wore when Fury made him invite us in.

"Meeting adjourned, then," Fury says. "Tony, see me about the living arrangements."

The adults stand up and begin milling around and talking. Little by little they gravitate to the large picture windows, leaving us three seventeen-year-olds sitting in an awkward silence. Feeling like it's my duty, I break the ice.

"So...I guess we'll be living under the same roof for a while..."

Alex turns to me and rolls her eyes. "Honesty? _That's_ the best you can come up with?"

I return her stare, offended. "Do you have something better?"

"Sure do," she says, and turns to the Russian girl. "Exactly _why_ did you ask for a glass of 80 proof vodka?"

"You disapprove," she observes in perfect English. Alex laughs and shakes her head.

"Nah, just wish I had the guts to ask Dad for vodka."

"Alex!" Mr. Stark calls. She sighs before getting up.

"Are you coming?" she asks turning to the two of us. We both nod and follow her out of the room and into the hall where all the adults are.

"We've got enough living floors here in Stark Tower to divide us up into three groups..." Mr. Stark begins. "So...

"The guys will take the top floor." Fury takes over.

Alex cuts him off. "Why do you guys get the biggest floor?"

"Because they have 5 fully grown men to split the space up between, and you have only 3 seventeen-year-olds," he replies. I process the implications of this statement.

"Wait! You want me to not only let them all live here, but I have to room with those four?" Mr. Stark asks.

"Yes, Tony. Or you can leave the Avengers and the Tower," Fury replies.

Mr. Stark rolls his eyes but says nothing.

"The women will take the floor below, and the teens get the one below that. Good?"

"Augh, I guess I have to go pack my stuff," Alex says with a dramatic sigh. She model-walks over to the elevator and disappears inside. The rest of the adults peel off into their groups and go up to their floors. Only me and the Russian girl are left. We turn to leave.

"Oh, and one last thing," Fury says, catching me and the Russian girl by the sleeve. "You two are rooming together. There are only two bedrooms on that floor, and I do NOT need any funny business going on between you and Stark's kid." He very pointedly gazes at me as he says this.

"What makes you think rooming with the other girl will do any good?" I ask, more than a little offended and taking it out on the first person I can.

Fury's eye narrow at me. "She happens to be surgically sterile. I doubt anything will happen. Good day, Loki." He says this last coldly and stalks over to the elevator. I turn back to the Russian girl. She looks at the floor.

"Well..." she says softly. "That's not normally the first thing people get told about me..."

I feel horrible. "I'm sorry," I say. She smiles a little and looks up at me.

"My name's Verusha," she says, holding out her hand. "But you can call me Ace. I know it's hard to pronounce."

I shake hands with her. "Pleased to meet you, Ace."


	7. And The Good Parenting Award Goes To

And The Parenting Award Goes To...

I wake up to the soft light of the seven-thirty sun coming in the windows of our room in Stark Tower. It's quite pleasant, actually. _Wait. _Our room- I sit straight up in bed as I remember exactly who I room with now. I look over to the other bed and see my new roommate sitting cross-legged on top of her already made bed. Her eyes are closed and she sits perfectly still. Maybe she's somehow asleep like that? I don't know, and I try to move silently around the room, finding a clean T-shirt somewhere in my suitcase and pulling it over my head. I'm still lost in the folds of fabric when I hear a voice.

"Don't feel as if you're intruding on my space. I don't care what your habits are like as long as you don't snore."

I jump and trip over something that has fallen on the floor, landing in a heap of T-shirt and Loki.

"Gah! Warn a guy next time!" I haul myself up and face her. She looks like she's trying to hold in a laugh, and I mock scowl at her. Behind my back, my hand closes on a towel that I had placed there the night before. I will have my revenge yet. I hurl it at her, and she expertly dodges, mischief flaming to life in her eyes.

"You do know this means war," she says menacingly.

I grin. "Bring it on, Ace."

She picks up the towel and throws it with deadly accuracy at me. I can hardly move fast enough to avoid it and when I look back at her another towel hits me in the face. I gasp and take both ends in my hand and charge her, intending to shove it in her face. I don't expect what happens next, though. I don't know why or how, but somehow I end up sitting down on the floor and seeing stars. The world dims for a second and then I see her face over me, and feel two strong hands pull me into a sitting position.

"I am SO sorry for that," Ace says quickly. "I didn't expect to be rushed at. I guess my instincts took over. Sorry!"

"Killer...instincts," I manage to gasp out.

She chuckles a little and offers me a hand. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just a bit dizzy."

"It'll wear off. Just try and stand up now."

I try, and the world spins. She puts one arm around my shoulders and holds me from falling with the other. And that is right when Alex comes in.

_Well...this doesn't look awkward at all..._ I think, before swaying so much that Ace sits me back down on my bed.

"You'll be fine," she repeats. "It's normal to be dizzy at first. I know I always get that way for at least a few minutes."

_"What?" _Alex nearly shouts. "What were you two _doing?_"

I try and gasp out a response, but Ace is already talking.

"I accidentally kicked him in the solar plexus. He'll be fine in a minute."

Alex raises an eyebrow. "Oookaaay..."

"Really, it was nothing," I manage to say.

"What ever you say, Lover Boy." She waves her hand before walking out.

"Where are you going?" Ace asks.

"To get coffee," she replies.

Ace and I look at each other, and with a shrug, we decide to follow Alex's lead up to the dining area.

It would appear that we are the only ones up. The kitchen is roomy enough, with space for everyone who would be coming later. It's brightly lit with natural light from skylights and picture windows. An island sits in the middle of the place, surrounded by cupboards and a stove top. The seating area is just beside the kitchen and consists of a few couches and armchairs in a circle with coffee tables next to each one. I see that there's one other person up- Pepper. She is cooking away in the kitchen, trying to produce enough food to satisfy the appetites of a Norse god, a man with a destructive alter ego, a genius billionaire, a proficient archer, and a genetically enhanced super soldier. And that was just the guys.

"Jarvis! Coffee would be great!" Alex says with a hint of sarcasm.

"Of course, ma'am," the British voice replies.

"What is he?" I ask.

"Who? Jarvis?"

I nod.

"He's a computer program. He's basically a bodiless nanny and servant. Dad had him installed, and he has been helping us run the industry for years now. Can't imagine life without him."

"Cool," I reply, amazed.

I notice that poor overburdened Pepper is looking like she needs a hand, so I decide to step in and help.

"Anything I can do, ma'am?" I ask politely. She looks up.

"Oh- good morning, Loki! Yes, actually, do you know how to cook bacon?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, would you mind finishing these?" she gestures to a giant pan where at least half a pound of bacon is sizzling merrily. I nod and take the tongs from her.

Alex takes the seat across the counter from me.

"So someone knows how to cook," she says. "Funny. You don't seem like the type to know how to cook."

I look up at her and smile slightly. "Oh? What type do I seem like, then?"

"Oh, I don't know," she smirks. "The silent type. With so much to say, but not the mouth to say it."

"How do you figure that?" I ask.

She leaves her seat and walks over to me. She doesn't stop until her face is only inches away from mine.

"You never stand up to the adults, no matter how bad it seems. You just seem like the "nice guy." You know, the one everyone likes, but can't seem to get close to."

"And what about you, Miss Stark?" I ask. She grins.

"I've got a lot to say and the mouth to say it with. We'd make a great team."

I finally break the moment, pulling away. "Yeah? What if you're not my type?" I ask cheekily. She frowns for a moment, the perfect eyebrows knitting together, then responds breezily.

"I'm everyone's type, silly boy." She brings her face closer to mine again.

"Touch her and I'll kill you," says a new voice. I jerk my head up and there stands Mr. Stark. Alex slowly pulls her head back, accepting the cup of coffee her dad offers her. She jumps down from the counter, her dressing gown fluttering slightly as she sits back down in her chair.

Mr. Stark remains where he is and I briefly consider telling him that it was in fact _his_ daughter making advances on _me_, but Alex had been right about something. I never stand up to adults. I just turn back to flipping the bacon, nodding slightly. Once her dad goes to the table, I steal a glance back at her. Her wicked smile says that I just proved her point. She comes back to me.

"Don't worry. A little while with me, and you won't be afraid to stand up to them." She winks a sexy wink before following in her father's footsteps out of the room. I turn back to the bacon, but I can't seem to get her out of my mind. Why does she have this control over me, and what is that weird feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever she is close?

Ten minutes later, the men and women finally come down to breakfast. By this time, Ace and I have grabbed ourselves loaded plates and large coffees and picked out the most comfortable couch to share. I sit next to her, not sure if I can handle sitting next to Alex after what just happened.

Not surprisingly, Thor, Uncle Steve, and Clint end up with most of the bacon. And the eggs. And the toast. And the- well, you get the picture. The women sit around with smaller plates, eating and conversing nicely. The guys wander around the kitchen aimlessly, challenging each other to OJ chugging contests and stuff like that. Thor takes a giant gulp of orange juice.

"This drink! I like it! Anoth-"

"THOR ODINSON! DON'T YOU DARE SMASH THAT MUG!" Jane yells.

It's a typical- well, I say typical- family reunion. Ace and I just sit in the middle of this whole loud, cheerful mess, taking in all of the snatches of conversation and laughter.

"...and so then I said, that's not my bow, that's a hallucination brought on by the tear gas..."

"...but I had just been stricken by the horrible beast, so I drew my battle axe and yelled a war cry..."

"...you know, it's just that they grow up so fast! I mean, one day she's sitting on that very couch stealing Tony's glasses and now she's driving herself all about in her Ferrari and ordering Jarvis around like anything..."

"I understand, it seems like just yesterday our little girl was picking up her daddy's bow and wanting to fire an arrow and we just got her a bow of her own..."

We look at each other and burst into laughter, eliciting motherly glares from the circle of women.

Just then, Tony comes back in. Alex follows behind him and takes up her seat across the room. He goes over to the tangle of guys hovering around the food, and begins boasting as loudly as the rest of them.

"What? Your daughter went on a top secret mission when she was just 13? Well, mine was driving her first Ferrari...I think she first developed a love for those cars back then... You have to concede the good parenting award to Tony Stark, though. Admit it."

"Oh, please, Tony, you are anything but a good parent. I bet Pepper did all the work," Uncle Steve teases. Across the room, Pepper raises her glass of juice in agreement.

"Pepper? Please! She was the one who yelled and disciplined. I did all the real parenting!"

"You dare speak of real parenting?" cut in Thor. "I merit that honor, friend. Loki has been anything but easy to raise and I believe I have done a scintillating job."

"You did nothing of the sort! I was the one who basically raised him!" Uncle Steve argues.

"Yeah, and who uses the word 'scintillating' in normal conversation?" Mr. Stark snarks.

"That is quite a normal word, sir," Thor says, mock-frowning at him. Mr. Stark raises his eyebrows.

"For Mr. Mjolnir it may be, but for the general populace it isn't."

"I like that name," Thor says appreciatively. "Perhaps I shall adopt it. Just as I did Loki in his time of need." I know that he's just joking, but the words cut a little.

"Whatever," Banner chimes in sarcastically.

"You disagree?" Thor asks.

"Of course. You only did that because Steve agreed to help and Tony and Fury gave you a hard time. If it were up to you, Tony would be raising Loki, just as he has done with Alex for the past twelve years, and might I add, he has done a great job." Banner says.

"You're taking his side?" Uncle Steve asks in wonder. "I thought you hated Stark."

"I did, but I love Alex as if she is my own, and, to my surprise, Tony has done great as a dad."

"Will you all stop griping? We all know that I am deserving of the parenting award because I raised a girl, worked for the government, and managed to make a marriage with Natasha work for all these years." Clint adds his name into the running. Beside me, I can feel Ace stiffen. Okay, this is getting awkward.

"Okay, you get props for working with Natasha, but not for parenting," Mr. Stark retaliates. Pepper steps in.

"Oookay. So, Tony, when do you race next?" The attempt at an abrupt subject change does not go over.

"Look, guys, just admit it. I did better."

They all erupt into conversation, getting louder as they all try to talk over the next guy. Banner stops and holds his head in his hands, then with little effort, flips the central coffee table over.

"Guys! Just STOP!" he yells. They all stop and look at him. Silence falls in the room, broken only by the dripping of the broken juice pitcher. Ace and I glance at each other, eyes wide. Across the room, Alex's mouth is open. The women are all still as stones, and I can see Pepper's hand shaking.

"Look, just...just chill out, everyone and I'll be fine," Banner gulps out, breathing heavily.

"Uncle Banner?" Alex says getting up and walking over to the man.

"Alex, sit back down," Mr. Stark says.

She places a hand on her uncle's back. He looks up with a smile.

"I'm fine, Alex. I'm fine." He sounds like he is trying to convince himself more than her.

"Lets go to the lab." Her voice shakes with each word. When he nods, she leads him out of the room. Once he is gone everyone collectively lets out a breath.

That was nerve racking. I hope every breakfast won't be like this...


	8. On Call To Save The World

On Call To Save The World

After the explosive breakfast, no one really wants to do anything. I don't blame them. Alex and Banner are still down in the 'laboratory,' or wherever they had disappeared to after the table-flipping incident.

"Well, that went well," a new voice interrupts the silence.

We all turn to see Nick Fury standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, sir," Uncle Steve quickly says. All the adults look nervous, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and the tension in the room goes up a few notches.

"And what did you all hope to accomplish with that?" Fury asks.

"To prove that I-"

"Shut it, Stark. It was a rhetorical question," Fury snaps. His good eye narrows. "You all are just as bad when I met you. Arrogant, stubborn, egotistical, each bent on proving yourself to be better than the others. If I do say so myself, you make a horrible team. I thought you'd give it a rest if you ever got back into the team again, to be able to put aside your differences to fight for us like you did before. I am sad to say that I thought wrong. Agent Coulson would be very sad to see that he died believing in a team that couldn't get back together. You are on call to save the world here. That means _don't _take your time."

He stares around the room for a few moments, and I can see that his words have sunk deep.

"You have precious little time to get your acts together. I expect you to start training as a team regularly, and I will begin integrating these two into your plans," he says, motioning towards Ace and I. _What? We get to be part of the team?_

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, Thor, I need to speak with you. Conference room. Ten minutes." They nod.

He gives the adults one last glare and leaves, calling behind his shoulder,

"Don't disappoint me."

I am down in the lab with Uncle Banner, trying to distract him in the analysis of plant matter on slides and a powerful microscope. I can tell it's not working. It's always scary whenever he's like this; we're all afraid of him changing. I decide to ask a question that has been gnawing at me since I was a little girl.

"Uncle Banner, why do you... change?" I ask.

He sighs and backs away from the microscope.

"Well, in my research..." he trails off. "Basically, I gave myself a lethal dose of gamma rays, and the Other Guy 'saved my life.' That's really all I can tell you because I'm not even sure I know what happened."

I decide to drop the subject out of fear of upsetting him again.

"Miss Stark?" Fury calls from outside the glass door to my lab. "I'm going to need you to come with me."

I glance at Uncle Banner and get up, leaving him to the plants.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I am going to need your help a lot in the coming weeks," he begins. I'm kind of amazed. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D. needs _my_ help?

"Um, okay?"

"As you know, we need to get the Avengers Initiative back up and running smoothly to be prepared for any sort of threats to Earth."

I nod. "Okay, where do I come in?"

He chuckles. "Just like your father- always to-the-point. The team is...shall we say, performing less than satisfactorily of late. I would not be worried if it was just the original six coming back together, but the addition of Loki and the Bartons' child is going to make the team-building a lot harder. Family loyalty and whatnot. What I need you for, Alexandra, is making sure the two youngest members are perfectly adjusted and perform at their best with the original team. We'll be putting them through a three-week 'boot camp' of sorts to learn the ropes."

"Isn't that _your_ job? Training them, I mean? And am I not fighting?"

"No, you are not fighting. You haven't received any formal training, and we do not want you getting needlessly injured. And yes- it is my job. But I only train adults. You'll be the designer of scenarios that will be relevant and challenging to the teenagers. The loyalties of the team right now are tipped towards the families, and we need to balance that out. In other words, you will help me take Loki Odinson and Verusha Barton from practically strangers to the optimal fighting team within three weeks. I am normally capable of forging such a team in less than a week, however, I have no idea how the mind of a teenager will respond to the scenarios I build. That's where you come in. By that time, I want them to know each other inside out, to be so familiar with the other's fighting style that they could be woken up in the middle of the night and be able to defend themselves from at least twenty attackers. Then we'll introduce them to the rest of the team."

I raise my eyebrows disbelievingly. "And you expect me to accomplish this _how_?"

A brief emotion flickers across his face, and I am prepared to swear it was a grin. "You have my permission to do whatever it takes."

A set of ideas begins forming in my mind. Whatever it was that those two had done together last night- I am still not sure whether to believe the kicking story or not- they will more than make up for it, starting tomorrow. I smile.

"I gotcha, sir."

"Good." He hands me two thick files- I assume they're on Loki and the Russian girl respectively. "You start tonight. Send me the completed plans for the first week by ten PM sharp."

I mock- salute him and walk off to my computer. I have a lot of reading to do.

I sit down at the head of the long wooden table, looking over at the faces of two parents and the Norse god of thunder.

"I wanted to speak to you three in private," I begin. "As you know, the threat we are dealing with here is much bigger than the last one we faced together. For this reason, we need to expand our arsenal of weapons against it."

They all nod in agreement.

"How do we accomplish this?" Thor inquires.

"This is where I need your permission as parents and guardians," I say. "I said earlier that I would begin integrating Verusha and Loki into the team's plans. I have every intention of doing so. They will be a great asset."

"Loki does not recall how to fight. He could not even defend himself from a common street thief," Thor remarks. "How, then, can he be an asset to the Avengers?"

I allow myself a small smile and take out a box from my pocket. I show its contents to Thor, and he sits back.

"You are sure it will not trigger unwanted memories in him?"

"No. In fact, Odin himself sent specific instructions to reintroduce him to it and to begin training him to use his powers for good."

Thor nods, satisfied. I turn to Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton. She nods.

"If you can use her, we're more than happy that she be put into the team."

"That's exactly where I am worried. The added loyalty of family could possibly be destructive to the teamwork. You need to be able to put the fact that she is your daughter aside, and she needs to be able to do the same for you."

They look down and nod slowly.

"I know it will be harder for them, because they have not yet had a life without their parents or guardians," I say. "So I have developed a strategy to overcome that. It just needs your approval as the adults responsible for them."

They all look hard at me, trying to see my meaning.

"I propose to make them into a fighting team," I state. When emotions flare to life in all the adults' eyes, I hold up my hands. "Hear me out, please. They are hardly capable of the things you are, manly because of their lack of experience. They would nearly be dead weight in a battle. You would be spending all your time protecting them rather than adhering to the goal. If, however, they were made into a team where each knows the other's weaknesses and strengths, they would have double the protection, double the capabilities. You would not have to worry about their safety in the heat of battle. You would in fact benefit from the addition of two new weapons."

They process this. Surprisingly, it's Agent Barton who speaks first.

"I see your point, sir. And I'd have to agree." Romanoff looks at him. "Think of it, Nat," he says to her. "You know all we would do is worry if she went into battle solo."

"And the fact that she's going into battle with the same criminal we fought years back makes you feel _safer_?"

He bites his lip. "He's changed, Nat. If Fury thinks it's for the best then who are we to question? We're part of the team now, and we can't be selfish."

She nods slowly. "I guess we're in, then."

I look over at Thor.

"I'm sure Loki would find it an honor to fight alongside your daughter," he says to the married agents. They manage small smiles back.

"That's decided, then," I say, getting up to leave.

"You had it all arranged before you even asked us, didn't you?" Agent Romanoff questions. I look over my shoulder and give them a small grin.

"Yes. As well as seven different plans should you have refused."

"But you knew we would say yes, though."

"Of course."

"You want us to become _what_?" Ace asks, looking over at me with ever- growing disbelief.

"You two are going to have to watch the other's back at all times when fighting with the adults- they don't have time to babysit you," Fury explains. "Therefore, it is imperative that you know the other's fighting style backwards and forwards."

"The perfect fighting team," Ace sighs, sounding put out. "Does he even _know_ how to fight?"

I am not about to admit that I don't, so I just look back at Fury. He simply smiles and puts his hand in his pocket, drawing out a small box. He pushes it over the desk to me.

"Go on, open it."

I do, and in it lies a gold ring set with a dark emerald that is almost black. Something stirs in the back of my head as I look at it. Something from... I can't place it. And then I remember what it is and why it's being given to me. I also know how to use it. I look back up at Ace and grin.

"I can. but it's a different sort of fighting style..."

She raises an eyebrow. I shrug and place the ring on my right ring finger, admiring its shine.

"Alex will be mainly in charge of your training," he continues. _What?_ "You begin tomorrow and go for three weeks, or until you can learn to fight together. It will all be done in a virtual reality program here in Stark Tower."

"So we'll be trapped in a hallucination for _three weeks_?" Ace voices my opinions. "Have you even _asked_ our parents?"

"I have discussed the issue with them and they have agreed." Ignoring our glares, he prattles on. "In order to prepare, you will not eat anything solid for the rest of the day, avoid physical exertion, and if you normally take medications do _not_ take them tonight." Ticking off the points on his fingers, he sits back in his chair. "Take all the time you need to get used to the idea, but be up in room 200 on the sixty-sixth floor at precisely 5:00 AM tomorrow." He gets up and walks out, leaving us sitting open-mouthed.

I wake up gasping for breath. My lungs beg for air, but I can't get any to penetrate my chest cavity. My eyes fly open at the tightness in my muscles as my whole body screams for oxygen. I can't breathe. Darkness is all around me, and it's closing fast. In my mind, I beg for the air to enter my body, but I can't form any words. After several long agonising moments the pressure leaves as quickly as it had come. I quickly gulp down lungfuls of the pure air and try to get my bearings. A shadowy figure gets up from where it had been seated on top of me. I sit up and try to make out who it is- it's too tall to be Ace. That's when the lights are flicked on.

The light hammers its way through my skull, and I try to cover my eyes. My hands are jerked away from my face, and I see Alex's grin.

"Alex! What time is it?" I demand.

"Three in the morning. Wakey, wakey!" I can hear the note of pleasure in her voice. She's enjoying this.

"We don't have to be in the room 'till five!" I groan.

"That's right. You have to get prepped before going in, though," she says sweetly. I roll my eyes.

"Fine then. Let me get ready at least."

She steps back obligingly, and I pull on a t-shirt.

"Just go in that," she says, indicating my basketball shorts and t-shirt. "You'll need loose stuff anyways."

I nod and glance over to see if Ace is up yet. She is just stirring, and soon climbs out of the covers in a tank top and running pants. She stretches, catlike, and then notices Alex.

"It's only three!" she complains. Alex smiles devilishly. "I know. You all have to get prepped. Throw on a shirt and get out here."

Ace complies, muttering under her breath in Russian. I hold back a smile. Seconds later, we are shoved out the door by a smiling Alex. We're still half in our pajamas and our bare feet pad softly on the tile. I'm beginning to dislike this training already.

Alex leads us to the elevator, and takes us down a few floors to the 66th. We go through those halls until we come to a room 201. She holds the door open and we step in. Mr. Stark, Thor, and Natasha Romanoff are inside. Beside me, Ace stops and folds her arms, looking at her mother. They begin a tirade of angry Russian, Ace sounding increasingly irritated while her mom alternately placates and scolds her. At last they lapse into an unsatisfied silence. I just look at Thor. His blue eyes are inscrutable as always, and I decide to just go with things. Mr. Stark looks askance at Ace before beginning.

"Er, well, since we're all here... we just need to get some body scans of you two. Step forward," he says, with all the flair of a circus performer. A human-sized box stands on end. Ace takes a step forward before I can, and Stark ushers her into it.

"Don't worry, my dear, this is perfectly safe. It'll only take a minute."

She doesn't seem reassured, but moves inside anyway. It closes with a dull click, and then computers attached to its outside light up and begin dancing. I observe this a bit nervously, wondering what is being done to her. Exactly a minute later the box opens again and she steps out, looking no worse for the wear but with a band-aid on her left forearm. Stark gestures to me.

There's nothing for it- I allow myself to be placed in the Box Of Death and let it close over my head. Almost immediately my vision lights up with a screen in front of my face.

_Body scanning...body scanning..._ the text scrolls across the monitor nearly faster than I can read it. Then it changes to an image of me. The computer re-creates me from the skeleton out. In no time at all I'm looking at a perfect copy of myself.

_Blood sample..._I read, and feel a prick on my left forearm. The needle is not removed, and the screen's message changes to _Prep drugs._ I hear a small hiss and then a band-aid is placed on my arm and the box clicks back open. I stumble out and take my place back in the room. Stark is by the computers, reading the bright screens and rubbing his hands in delight.

"Excellent, excellent," he says. "Great readings. Let's move to room 200."

Only Ace, me, and Mr. Stark move rooms. The others stay behind. Room 200 is bare save two large chairs on opposite sides of the small space. They remind me of a dentist's chairs, full-body things with an assortment of lamps and wires hanging from the ceiling above them. They also have thick black straps on their sides...The whole room is lit up with fluorescent lights like those in hospitals. In short, it makes every nerve in my body go on high alert. I can tell Ace is nervous as well- her hands are clenched in fists and her whole body seems tense. Stark comes in and indicates the two chairs.

"Monsieur, madame."

We step up onto the near-vertical chairs, and do our best to settle back into them. He stands in between us, and starts talking us through the procedure.

"So basically what's going to happen today is that you both get put under and into this prolonged virtual reality. Since you are going to be spending a lot of time there in the next few weeks, we're going to have to inject you with a lot of stuff. Don't worry, we won't do it all at once. First you'll get a dose of muscle relaxer. Then a light sedative. Then, an hour later, we'll start giving you the serious stuff. We're going to have to strap you in here so you don't fall out. We'll bring your parents in for the last bit to see you two off. Alright?"

I like the process less and less with every word that comes out of his mouth. Ace and I glance at each other.

"I'll do it if you will," she challenges. I nod. _What am I getting myself into?_


	9. Dreamland

Dreamland

Mr. Stark leaves the room to get the first round of whatever drugs he's planning to fill us with. I turn to Ace.

"You're absolutely crazy, you know that?"

"You're doing it too."

I sigh and let my head fall back onto the headrest. "Yeah, don't remind me."

We sit like this for a while, mentally preparing ourselves for whatever is going to happen next. When I glance back over at her, she's closed her eyes and is muttering to herself in Russian. I look up at the white ceiling, wondering how I am going to get through the coming weeks.

The door opens, and I cringe. I hadn't expected Mr. Stark to come back that fast-

"Hey, kiddo. Came down as soon as I heard," a familiar voice says. I half sit up in the chair.

"Uncle Steve!"

He smiles and nods. "So. how you feeling about all this?"

"Nervous as heck," I reply honestly. "Have you ever done anything like this?"

He nods again, slowly this time. I can see his eyes wander off into another time and place.

"Yes, yes I have. It was just about the scariest thing I'd ever done."

"You've been strapped into an overgrown dentist's chair with Mr. Stark about to inject you with God-knows-what?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, that's exactly how it happened."

I raise an eyebrow at him in question. He takes in a breath.

"Well, it was a long time ago. But I wasn't always this way..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was the scrawny kid in school, the one who always got beat up for his beliefs and because he couldn't defend himself. Then a German doctor came to me and chose me for a project. They injected me with this serum, and it turned me into a supersoldier. Believe it or not, Tony's dad was the one who had engineered all the machinery they used. So yeah, I know exactly how you feel right now."

I think this over for a moment. "I don't suppose you have any advice..."

He laughs softly. "You can always do more than you think you can."

I'm sort of puzzled but he seems sincere so I accept it. The door bangs open and Mr. Stark comes back in with a tray. I don't see what's on it, nor do I want to. The sooner I'm knocked out, the better. I don't need to see exactly how they do it. He sets the tray down on a table behind our heads and comes forward to where we can both see him.

"So, we're going to start with the muscle relaxer so we'll have to strap you in now..." He nods to Uncle Steve, and goes over to Ace. Uncle Steve gets up and bends over me, securing each of the big black straps. I fight the growing feeling of nausea as the realization that this is really happening washes over me. Maybe it's best that they started with the muscle relaxer. As he tightens the last strap, Uncle Steve gives my arm a reassuring pat. I draw in a shaky breath, trying to calm myself.

Mr. Stark goes over to his tray and picks up two objects, handing one to Uncle Steve.

"You do know how to do this stuff, don't you?" he asks. Uncle Steve nods, turning back to me. I steel myself as I see exactly what is in his hand. I've always been bad with needles... I can feel the bile rising in my throat as I turn away from my uncle.

"Don't do that..." I trail off. "I can't...I just..." I try to plead with him through my eyes, try and make him understand that I canNOT be injected. I can't handle it.

His expression tells me that he knows exactly what I mean and feels bad about it, but that it's his duty to inject me with the syringe and he will carry it out. Sometimes I hate having a soldier for an uncle. I try and keep calm, but my brain is going off on its own, working me up into a blind panic. If it wasn't for the straps holding me down I would have been out the door in a heartbeat. Through the gathering veil of panic, I see Mr. Stark come over with a worried expression on his face. He sighs and rolls his eyes, disappearing again. When he reappears I am aware of a mask being shoved over my nose and mouth. My hyperventilating lungs take most of it in before I notice it's a dose of laughing gas.

Almost immediately the world starts to be a whole lot less serious. I calm down, and within a few minutes no longer care what happens to my arm, preferring to stare at the lights overhead. The world gets fuzzy for a few seconds, and when the fog clears I notice that the room is about ten times brighter. _That's odd...it's almost like an hour or two has pass- never mind. _I roll my eyes at my own stupidity as the clock on the wall tells me that I had indeed been out for an hour. Glancing down at my left arm, I can see that a braid of tubing now feeds into it. So they managed to get a needle in me after all. Several, actually. I no longer feel panicked about it, though. I try to shift position, but my body won't respond. I am paralyzed from the neck down, I realize. So I settle for moving my head a little, and notice that I am hooked up to a full-blown EKG set, the wires running all under my shirt and the heart monitor beeping softly. Uncle Steve still sits by my chair, and when he notices that I'm coherent again he pipes up.

"Sorry about that, Loki. You were just getting a little..."

"Yeah," I cut him off, laughing a little at myself. "I know." He grins.

"There's the Loki I know."

I sigh and look up at the ceiling again, trying again to mentally prepare myself for wherever Ace and I are going in a half hour. I hear low conversation on the other side of the room, and I turn my head to see what's going on. Ace's parents stand on either side of her, talking to her in soft Russian. The door opens, revealing Alex dressed in a white lab coat and jeans. She comes over to me first, holding a clipboard. She reads the machines that I am hooked up to and jots down a few notes on it.

"So I heard you had a meltdown back there," she says with a smirk.

I nod. "I guess needles just aren't my thing," I manage.

She arches her eyebrows. "Very manly of you."

I sigh, not replying. She laughs and continues. "Second injection is scheduled in T-minus three minutes. I'll stick around for it; I wanna see Mr. Tall Pale and Silent higher than a kite."

I can't really dredge up a reply for that either, so I just lie there and stare up at the ceiling again, enjoying the last three minutes of sanity I'm guaranteed.

I recline on the near-vertical chair, doing my best to ignore the drugs being pumped into my system. Tony Stark had injected me before Loki, because the poor guy was freaking out and ended up needing laughing gas. I am proud to say that my self-control had held firm and that I did not so much as blink as the abnormally large needle entered my vein. While Loki was still incoherent from the gas, Stark had added three more needles to smaller veins in our arms, and now we were two injections away from going into dreamland. A little later, he had hooked us up to EKG's and other pieces of medical equipment to monitor our vitals and such. Mama and Pape had come into the room after the first injection and had stayed by my side as my muscles went limp except for my head and they had calmed me down during my initial panic of not being in control of my body any longer. We talked for a good hour while different drugs were introduced to my bloodstream, all slowly adding up and bogging my mind down. It was very annoying. Now, a few minutes after the second-to-last injection, I could tell by their eyes that they were pained for me as my thought processes begin to slow even more and my speech starts to get sluggish.

I try to offer them comfort, to tell them that it's all going to be fine, but only succeed in moving my head slightly toward mama. She smiles and strokes my hair. I'm glad Stark let them in, because I definitely want them to be the last thing I see before going under.

Mr. Stark comes into the edge of my vision. Words filter through the haze that consciousness has become, and I know that it's time for the final injection. I feel the small prick in my neck this time, and feel a rush of cold spread from that spot outwards. Suddenly the room lurches and spins dizzyingly and if it wasn't for the utter lack of control I had over my body I am pretty sure I would have thrown up. The lights sparkle weirdly, and I am aware of my breathing speeding up. The heart monitor speeds up with it, and the medical equipment starts going crazy. Pape's hand tightens on my forearm reassuringly, and then the whole scene swirls itself together in a blend of red hair, bright fluorescent tube lights, gleaming wires, and the brown color that belongs to pape. Seven little words float through my mind.

"Goodbye, Ace. See you in a little."

The colors gather themselves up, and explode into a supernova of many colors. Then everything is dark and still.

To my left, I hear a whirr and see Ace's bed being leveled and a mask placed over her face. Then Mr. Stark is standing beside me and talking to Uncle Steve. In my state of reduced consciousness I can't make out the words, but they are followed by a brief stab to the neck and a rush of cold. Uncle Steve grips my shoulder and I can hear the words although I can't make sense of them.

"Good luck, Loki." Then a new voice comes in, one with connotations of purple and hot pink.

"Go get 'em, Tiger."

Red, blue, white, purple, and pink flash before my eyes in a roiling mass. It blows up into a million fragments, which all go out as soon as they break apart. Then everything is dark and still.

Alex gently pries my hand from Loki's shoulder, fitting an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. I stand back from his inert form, watching the boy I'd practically raised as he sleeps peacefully, twitching a little as he enters the virtual reality program. Tony and his daughter are now engrossed in the computers, busily ensuring that they have everything hooked up right. My head flops down of its own accord. I hadn't realised watching Loki slowly go under all those drugs would be this painful. It feels as if a small piece of me was drugged along with him and the rest of my body is still encased in a block of ice. I feel a hand on my arm and look up into the face of my teammate Natasha. Her eyes say what she cannot- that she understands what I'm feeling and that it'll all be okay. She actually trusts Tony. I guess this is all part of Fury building our team back up from the roots again. I smile and all three of us back out of the room, careful not to disturb the geniuses and the sleeping teenagers.

'_You can always do more than you think you can...'_

'_There's the Loki I know!'_

'_Very manly of you.'_

'_Good luck...'_

'_Go get 'em, Tiger!'_

Random sentences float through my brain, ordering and re-ordering themselves into something that makes a little bit of sense. My eyes flutter open. I'm on a table, stretched out in the clothes I'd worn as I came up to Room 200, Floor 66 of Stark Tower. A single dim lightbulb allows me to see the room I've woken up in. There's not much to see- merely a set of four walls and a closed door. I get up and move around, trying to get the feeling back into my body- well, not exactly my body anymore, I note ruefully. Just a really good copy. But still.

Once I'm satisfied that I know this new body as well as I knew my own, I quietly push open the door. It opens into a hallway with another door set into the wall exactly opposite my door. I open this one as well and find Ace sitting on a table just like the one I had woken up on. She looks up and her striking icy eyes meet mine.

"Privet, Loki."

"What?"

"It means 'hello' in Russian," she sighs. "I miss Stark Tower already."

I manage a small chuckle. "Privet, Ace. I do, too."

She hops off the table, her bare feet padding across the floor. "Well, I'm bored in here already. Let's have a look around." I follow her out into the hallway, where another door has magically appeared to form a three-way junction with our two doors. She shoves it open and we step into a brightly lit waiting room. It is luxuriously furnished, just like the one in Stark Tower. There are couches and armchairs all arranged around an oval-shaped coffee table. We go over to them and find two sets of clothing, a folded-up bow, a full quiver, and a box that I know contains my ring on the table. The room is rectangular, and one of the longer sides is made up of floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a magnificent vista of modern-day New York. Ace whistles.

"Whoa. Good job, Stark."

I imagine that if he could hear us right now he would be laughing his butt off. I glance around, getting the goldfish-in-a-glass-bowl feeling. It's a little creepy, actually. I shudder and turn back to the table that holds our stuff.

"So, what do we do now?"

Just as the words are out of my mouth, the giant windows start to dim and turn opaque. They transform into a giant TV screen before our very eyes. A huge chin comes into view, with immaculately groomed facial hair that I recognise as Mr. Stark's. He steps back and his whole face comes into view. He looks off-camera and motions to someone. Nick Fury steps forward.

"Hello, Loki, Verusha." The greeting is a mere formality, not really sincere. "I hope you've settled in pretty well. A few words about your new computer selves. You do not need sustenance. So that means no lunch breaks. You do, however, need sleep or at least a rested mental state. We've only just woken up this morning, so your week starts today. I know I said three weeks before, but I am prepared to let you two out early if you show rapid progress. I am also prepared to keep you in longer if you refuse to work together. Each day will consist of a morning session, a short break, an afternoon session, and sleep. You will spend the first week learning basic combat techniques and how to work them together. The second week will be spent in a variety of trials in all sorts of settings under all sorts of conditions. You will be given a goal and judged on how well you work together to achieve it. Alexandra Stark is in charge of fabricating those scenarios, and I approve them before they are given to you."

Ace and I look at each other, and she gives me a face that looks like she would spew out her drink if she had one. I'm pretty sure my face looks like that too.

"How long the lessons are depend on how well you learn them and how much teamwork you build," Fury drones on. "So if you learn fast you'll be out of here in a week. You will report here every morning at six AM, and from here you'll be taken to your classes. If you need any special gear you will find it here on the table. I would advise you to take these combat suits for today, as they will serve you far better than your pajamas. Good luck." He walks off-camera and the screen fades away, leaving us looking out at New York.

"Well," says Ace finally. "Welcome to Dreamland."


	10. Teamwork

**Authors' Note: **

Hello dear readers! We've added an author's note to this chapter because it is so _freaking_ long. Word count you may ask? 7065, as opposed to an average of 2500-3000 words in the previous chapters :) So first of all, we wanna thank all of y'all faithful readers and reviewers out there who always give us feedback (you guys rock our socks!) And then we want to explain exactly why this chapter is so long...we had heaps of ideas (if you can believe it, this is the abbreviated version!) for this chapter and these are the abridged versions of the ones that made the cut. So sorry if they seem a little unclear, they were all jumbled in our heads when we wrote them so... oops! (Warning: bring tissues for the last few scenes.)

**Teamwork**

Talking through a webcam to two sleeping teenagers whose minds are actually in a virtual reality program is not the weirdest thing I have ever done, but it definitely makes the Top 10. I step back from the camera as it cuts off and go over to the bank of computers that have been moved into Room 200 in the past hour. The advanced simulators and all those other good things are all up and running, and it's only six AM. Goodness, I run a tight ship. Alexandra Stark is already keying code into one of the computers, setting up the first combat lesson while somewhere in the program Loki and Verusha are suiting up for whatever their first day will bring. Meanwhile, their bodies remain in the two beds with tubes feeding into them from all angles. I motion for her to hurry up because I only have an hour to monitor her until I am due to preside over the first team training the original Avengers have had in...well, twelve years.

She finishes coding the simulator and steps back. Another monitor shows a shot of what the training room looks like at the moment. It's a dojo done up in the old Japanese style, cheerful and brightly lit. I had stressed to her the importance of making them feel at home in their new surroundings, in order for them to be more relaxed and easier to teach. She has done a marvelous job of it. I nod in approval, and the door of the dojo opens, revealing Loki and Verusha in their combat suits.

"Excellent," I say. "Let's begin."

I step out of my room after putting on one of the combat suits we had found on the table. It fits like it was made for me, with a pair of black pants, a tall pair of black boots that are surprisingly lightweight, a white T-shirt, and a black jacket over it all. My quiver hangs neatly over my shoulder and my bow folds up and fits snugly into a harness that dangles from my belt and is strapped to my thigh. Once I am satisfied with it I come back out and see that Loki has just stepped out of his room, wearing the same thing minus the bow and arrows. He still has that huge ring on his right hand, though, and I wonder what it's for. Another new door has materialized opposite to the one leading to the 'living room,' and we look at each other and push it open.

We find ourselves in an old-school Japanese dojo, with windows on the far wall and mirrors lining the right wall. The logo of Stark Enterprises is painted on the left wall, and I have to hold in my laugh. A digitized female voice rings through the air.

_Step forward, please. _

We comply, walking to the center of the room.

_Welcome, Loki Odinson and Verusha Barton._

We stand there awkwardly. I mean, really. Are we supposed to say hello to a computer?

"Um, thanks?" Loki ventures. I roll my eyes at him. He shrugs back.

_Today's combat lesson will be over learning the other's skills and how they fit into yours._

I choke back a snort. I still don't believe that this guy can fight.

_We will take each of you through an individual demonstration for the other to see, and then begin giving you lessons on how to use your abilities together. _

Great. Now the computer is going crazy, too. I'm telling you, this boy is one of the softest I've ever seen. Not as far as physical strength- he seems strong enough- but he simply lacks something found in a trained fighter. You can see it in his eyes- a soft edge to their otherwise hard green depths. Basically, if he was jumped in a dark alley my money would be on his attacker. My face must show it because he simply grins and steps forward as if eager to prove me wrong.

"I'll go first," he says. I shrug and step off the mat, hoping the poor guy isn't about to get himself killed in a computer-generated hallucination.

_Basic attack mode activated,_ the computer's voice chirps. The lights black out for a few seconds, and when they come back on the room has changed to be wider and much taller. The windows have disappeared and the walls are now a dull grey. Loki stands in the middle of a large square fighting floor that is a foot lower than the rim of wood around it, which I'm standing on. Three figures have appeared in a circle around him, each one easily towering over his six feet. Their skin is a deep blue and their eyes a sinister red. Ice seems to grow out of their very hands, sharpening itself into three very big, nasty-looking swords. Realization dawns on me at last. _Frost giants._

Loki seems unnerved by the three giants surrounding him, backing up a little and nervously twisting his ring on his finger. See what I meant about soft?

He is still backing up, and he shoots a glance at me. His eyes seem to despair of his very life, but then something sparks in them. They harden into the eyes of a seasoned veteran of countless battles. He stops backing away from his attackers and stands to face them, chin high and fists clenched. And stands there. And stands there. They draw nearer and nearer, one of the giant fists sprouting a mace-like device. I want to scream at him to move, to defend himself, to do anything, but just then one of the giants swings his club down on Loki's head, effectively crushing him. I look away, not really wanting to see my teammate die.

_It's just an illusion, it's just an illusion, it's just an illusion,_ I repeat to myself, as if that could dull the sickening feeling that pushes up through my stomach. I am brought back to the present by a strangled cry, and see Loki with his legs wrapped around one of the giants' necks, using his own icy dagger to stab him in the throat. _What?_ He jumps off the tall form as it crumples to the floor, and crouches in a fighting stance as the remaining two advance on him.

He does the same thing again, just standing there as they come closer to him. But he glances around nervously, as if taking on two is much more nerve-racking than taking on three. As the foremost giant takes a swing at him with a sword of ice, Loki vanishes in a golden glow. And then reappears sliding under the giant's legs, wielding his own ice-sword against him and chopping off his right leg at the knee. When he falls, Loki stabs him through the heart. I am amazed. _How did he do that...?_

The third giant backs away from my teammate, duly afraid of him now. Loki merely grins and smashes the icy blade on his knee. Picking up the broken shards, he hurls two as if skipping stones. They hit the frost monster squarely in the eyes, and as he falls Loki takes a larger shard of the many lying on the floor and drives it into the back of his head with little effort. He stands up, wiping his hands on his pants and turning to face me. The lights dim and brighten again and we find ourselves back in the dojo, standing across from each other.

One look at his face and I know he's changed somehow. This is no longer the boy I called soft earlier. The eyes staring back at me, widened in surprise, have seen many battles and lived to tell the tales. I wonder what has caused the change, and as he looks down at the ring on his finger I know there's more to the story than meets the eye. I don't have time to process anything else before the computer calls my name.

_Verusha Barton. Please step forward. _I do, my right hand creeping towards my bow and my left hand starting to reach for my quiver. Then the lights go out.

When the lights come back on, the room has changed again, much like it had for my fight. I'm still more than a bit shaken, but then again I suppose having all your old battles and fighting skills come back to your memory in a rush does that to you. I lean my back against the wall, trying to get control of myself again. As I do, I observe the new surroundings that Ace and I are in. The room has grown again to about the size it was when I fought the...frost giants. I'm still shaking from the alien memories of old Asgardian battles. The walls are wooden, as is the floor, and as she stands in the middle of the floor a target materializes in front of her. Faster than I would have given her credit for, she whips out her bow, the polished silver springing to life in her hands, reaches for an arrow, and sends it flying into the dead center of the red bulls-eye. The computer voice rings out again.

_Archer's speed measured. You will have thirty of these targets to hit in a minute. Missing one will result in the repetition of the exercise. _

So she can't miss a single one. Great. We're going to be here forever. She nods and fits another arrow on her bowstring, muscles tense and at the ready. Five mechanical beeps ring out and on the fifth one, a target appears behind her. She swiftly turns and hits it dead-center. As soon as she does another comes up halfway across the room. Another bulls-eye. My mouth drops slightly as I realize that the previous display of archery wasn't due to beginners' luck. It is pure skill. Target after target materializes, all over the room, and each one is hit perfectly in its middle. She moves with a fluid grace, almost like a dancer. I don't even notice the time go by, but in 60 seconds the display of skill is over and the lights go out again. The last thing I remember before the whole room changes again is thinking that if this is the girl I have to measure up to, I'm screwed.

I walk down the long corridor to the great silver door which looks as if belongs on a safe in a bank rather than in a house. I'm sure I am the last to arrive, but I just couldn't leave without knowing Mini Stark was not going to kill my nephew. When I was satisfied I left coming to join my fellow Avengers in the great team practice about to start. God help us all.

"There you are," Fury announces as I walk into the room.

"Where you been, Cap?" Tony asks. I don't answer. Instead I just take my place in the line up next to Clint, waiting for Fury to give us our orders.

"Okay, so now that you are all here, I am going to start this mission. You will have thirty minutes to break through that door over there." He points to an industrial grade heavy metal door, tougher looking than the door I just came through. "You will need to kill all guards that you find, disable the warhead, and save the prisoner."

"Who is the prisoner, if I may ask?" Natasha inquires.

At that moment Alex walks in and stands by Fury.

"If you're here, then who is watching Loki and Verusha?" I ask, concerned.

"We have that under control," Fury responds. I nod, not believing a word of it.

"Okay, you got it?" Fury asks.

"And what if we fail?" Tony asks.

"You don't want to know." Fury glares at him with his good eye. Tony goes quiet.

"Good luck," Alex says, walking away. Fury begins to follow, but as if remembering something, he turns back.

"One last thing. Alex built the course, so be careful."

Tony goes green. I roll my eyes.

How bad could it be?

The buzzer rings. Clint fires an arrow at the door; it explodes on contact. I smile, thinking how easy this is going to be, but once we reach the door there is not a hole blasted into it as expected, just a minor dent.

"That should have worked," Clint says, embarrassed.

"This was built by my daughter. She is three times the evil genius I am, so we are going to have to think outside of the box," I reply.

Banner walks past giving us a knowing look. We all back away, giving him the space he needs. In an instant, he changes from innocent Doctor Banner into a green rage monster bent on destroying the metal door at any cost.

After what seems like ten minutes, the door finally falls off its hinges unable to withstand the Hulk's built up rage. I fly past the others trying to get a top view, but as I pass over the threshold, my face buries itself into the concrete ceiling. I fall back onto the ground with a great metal thud.

"Nice try, Stark," Steve says.

I jump up, unfazed.

"Looks like we are walking," Thor says.

"You don't say?" I reply sarcastically.

"Shut it, Stark," Steve replies. "We need to work together!" _Whatever. _

We walk down the long grey hall. There are no enemies in sight, and that scares me more then if there were a hundred.

"Looks like your "evil" daughter has forgotten to put up defenses," Thor chuckles.

"You neanderthal!" I scream. "She didn't forget, she would never! She's testing us. Be alert and don't make any sudden movements."

"Who made you the leader?" Natasha asks.

"Well, considering I know Alex better than any of you, I should lead!" I reply.

"Not a chance," Steve says coming to my side. "This is my team..."

"Your team?" Thor asks.

"We are not your team," Clint finishes.

Steve takes a step forward. A crack is heard. We all look at each other dumbfounded. The floor below our feet creaks and cracks before completely falling out from under us. The others scream as they fall; my flight finally kicking in, I gently fly down to the new room the others have come to a stop in.

"Thanks for the help, Stark," Clint says.

"What? I wasn't able to reach you in time," I reply smugly.

"Yeah, right," he mutters.

I cut the power to the thrusters, landing hard on my feet. As I do, like this couldn't get any worse, the alarm sounds. Great! Remind me to kill my daughter others jump up. We look around but all that can be seen is blackness. I guess we are lucky to be able to see each other, even if only barely.

"Everyone, okay?" Steve's voice calls out. A chorus of "yeah's" circles around our little group.

New little flash erupt around the room as we do so; bullets raining down from every direction. I look over, bullets bouncing off my suit as I do, to see Natasha and Clint doing their assassin moves to avoid the ambush. Natasha is moving quickly around the room, most likely to find an exit as Steve, Banner, Thor, and I- the only ones who are immune to the bullets- defend ourselves, shooting our weapons in every direction.

At that moment a loud yell breaks through the black. I turn and Clint bent over a fallen Natasha. I run over, but I wish I hadn't. A tear falls from his eye, blood on his hands, as he lays her back down.

"She's dead," he whispers. I can't think of anything to say, but he doesn't want me to. He looks at me with cold eyes, the kind only seen on a man out for blood.

"Clint..." I say. He shakes his head, grabbing an arrow.

"You guys find the exit."

"Okay," I reply, not wanting to be the target of his new aggression.

"Over here!" Thor yells. I run, leaving Clint behind, to the others. Thor has indeed found a door- one that I can only hope leads out of here.

"Go!" Clint yells.

The last thing I hear before the door closes is rapid firing of arrows, a dead thunk, then silence.

"Please tell me they aren't really dead," Steve says after a moment of silence. I nod my head, giving him the answer he doesn't want. How are we going to explain this to Fury?

Without another word, we run down the newly lit hall. We run as fast as we can, until we reach a problem. Our hall has ended. It branches out into to new ones, one right, one left.

"We go right," Steve says.

"No we go left," I reply.

"Tony, we go right. Right is always the answer," he says.

"Didn't I tell you. Alex built this. Nothing is traditional," I try to reason with him.

"No! We go right!" he states. "But if you want to go left, then be my guest."

He takes off running without paying any attention. That is when I see it. A thin wire, unseen before now, runs the across the hall from wall to wall about a foot off the ground.

"Steve!" I yell, but it's too late. Its over before we know it. Steve trips the wire setting off a grand explosion only C4 can produce. My mouth is hanging open as we look where Steve had once been, but is no longer. Three down, three to go. Oh, God. I take off running in the opposite direction, Thor and Banner close behind.

We round a corner a little too quick and plunge off what was a floor into icy water. Quietly we trudge through the new chest high water, hoping to come up to a weapons chamber, but no such luck.

"There they are!" an angry voice screams.

"I shall take care of this," Thor announces. Oh, great, now Thor is going to save us. Goodie. Wait! Thor, the Thunder God. He uses lightning... the water!

"Th-"

With one mighty blow, lightning flows from his great hammer, sending in the direction of the voices. But, the water grabs hold of it, and just to make things worse, it comes back toward us. God, Alex. How do you come up with this? The lightning heads straight for its master, Thor. He looks confused, then it hits him. He trashes violently. I turn my head from the gruesome details, not wanting to watch another team member die.

After several moments, the water becomes calm again. I turn back to Banner who is just floating there, shocked. What is going on? Before I can say anything, something drags the big guy under in a whirl of water and green flesh. I try to help, but the black water has swallowed him whole. And then there was one...

I swim as fast as possible to the other side of the concrete floor, only feet away. I pull myself up with what little strength remains in my system. What am I going to do now?

"Goodbye, Tony Stark." A man is standing above me. When he got there, I couldn't tell you. He holds a pistol to my head. Unafraid, I chuckle. He bends down and pulls off my mask. I stop laughing.

"Not so tough without your suit are you?" he says.

He cocks the gun. I take one last breath. Goodbye, Alex.

_BUZZ!_

The buzzer rings in my ears. I open my eyes. I didn't know I ever closed them.

_Time's up,_ a computer voice says. Huh?

The walls start falling, the darkness fading. What is this?

We all meet in the top floor for coffee after the training. Yes, I said we. Turns out, it was all a really good simulation. Somehow we'd all gone under the same drug Verusha and Loki were put under and had been sleeping peacefully on the floor as our minds were in the battle where I had witnessed most of the team die. I still need to have a talk with Alex about that.

Most of the team has their back turned not wanting to talk to anyone. Natasha and Clint share a couch, their arms tightly around each other. I guess all of us are still mad about the whole dying thing. Really, we have every right. Fury stands in the middle of the silent chaos trying to find the words to get us all to calm down. Well, that is NOT going to happen any time soon. The stress of the whole day seems to all be coming down on my shoulders right now, from waking up to Thor complaining about the lack of Pop-Tarts in the cupboards to watching the team I'd saved the world with die before my eyes. As Fury is launching into his latest placating speech about this bring for the good of the team and it simply proving his point that we still can't work together, I stand, walk up to him, stare him in the face, and say,

"What is WRONG with you?"

Everyone in the room turns around at my bold statement, probably to see Fury's reaction. his good eye narrows in- well, fury.

"What is wrong with me? What is wrong with me? I'm not about to apologize for what I did back there! You all needed the shock- how else was I supposed to get you to understand exactly how terrible you have become at working together?"

I roll my eyes in disgust. "Oh, I don't know, try just walking up to us and saying 'Do you understand exactly how terrible you have become at working together?'"

Fury's mouth opens and closes just as quickly.

"Yeah, that's right. Instead of doing what any _sane_ person would do you just HAD to go and 'prove it' to us." I walk over to Natasha and Clint and put a hand on each of their shoulders. Normally I would not be advocating for them in any situation but this new development is simply inexcusable. "Had you given any thought to the fact that you could have traumatized vital members of this team?"

Fury stands in an angry silence.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Just- leave us alone for the rest of the day, okay? I think we've earned it." I finish my statement coldly. To my great surprise he actually does.

_Session failed. Try again,_ the computer chirps infuriatingly after Ace and I have fallen over each other for the millionth time today. I glance over at her, sure she's feeling the same things I am. Pretty much pure rage and a strong wish to call everything _quits._ She drives a fist into the ground, letting out an animalistic growl of frustration. Hauling herself to her feet, she offers me a hand. I cautiously take it and she drags me to my feet, glaring daggers into my skull.

"What the _heck_ was that?" she practically screams at me. "Why would you back up when you knew I was right there?"

I'm tired, annoyed, and if my body had been a real one it would have ached from head to toe from all the beatings I've taken since we entered this virtual reality training. My tounge is no longer entirely my own, and so I snap right back at her.

"It's not like I _asked_ for you to be hounding my every step! You're not perfect either! Just _get off my case for once!"_

Her face tells me that I have crossed some sort of line. "Well, excuse me for trying to protect your back from getting stabbed. I guess we won't be making a perfect fighting team anytime soon." The icy calm in her voice scares me more than any yell or scream she's used on me before. She folds up her bow, clips it back into its harness, and stalks off. The door of the dojo is not obliging, however, and when she tries to open it the computer says in its maddeningly cool monotone,

_Exit not authorized. You will remain here until you learn this technique. _

The more she attacks the door, the more the message repeats, until she screams in frustration and sits down, sobbing angrily into her sleeve. I flop down on the floor where I am, too exhausted to think of anything to do or say to fix things. Normally I would be mortified at what I'd just said, but right now I am far too tired to care about anything, least of all how I come across to people. I groan and throw my arm across my eyes, just content to _exist_ right now.

We stay like that for a good five minutes, and the only sounds are Ace quietly trying to control her tears of pure frustration. Eventually she's successful and I can hear as her head thuds against the wall. I look up and see her with her eyes closed and her head resting back on the wooden slats. Against my better judgement about approaching her while she's mad, I bring myself to my feet, cross the short distance of half the dojo, and sit down next to her. She doesn't look up. I clear my throat awkwardly, trying to break the silence.

"I'm sorry." The words come at last. I don't expect the reaction, though.

"No. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just past my last nerve with this whole training lark."

I give a low chuckle. "Well that makes two of us."

She looks up for the first time, eyes red rimmed and exhausted. She's always been there for me to haul me through yet another day of training, and I decide to start being there for her as well. I get to my feet and offer her my hand.

"Well, the only way out of here is to learn this, so...you ready for Round Two?"

She smiles a little and takes my hand. I pull her to her feet.

"So. What was I doing wrong earlier...?"

"Oh, it was just a little mistake. I was to blame as much as you, don't worry."

We walk back onto the mats, and I feel like we might just get lucky this time around.

Later that 'day,' (or however you measure time inside a computer program) Ace and I sit down for a little chat before we go to sleep. We face each other over the coffee table, me stretched out on a couch and her curled up in a chair. The combat lesson earlier had ended on a good note, with us learning the new skill in record time. I guess things work better when you're not constantly fighting your teammate. Maybe that was Alex's point in trapping us together like that. Can't say that I liked the experience, but it was worth a few heated words to start to forge the bond that we are gonna need to have as members of this team.

"Thanks for that...thing you did back there," she begins awkwardly. I guess she's not in the habit of thanking people much.

"You're welcome," I reply. "It saved both of our butts, though, so I'm not sure if it qualifies as a selfless act."

"Doesn't matter," she says. "It was still good."

I grin and duck my head. "Thanks, then."

She laughs. I can feel things start to flow better, and realize that after today's rocky events we have made at least a few steps in the right direction.

It turns out that those few steps were actually a huge leap. With our newfound teamwork we finish combat training in only two days. In those first five days I get to know Ace better than I have nearly anyone in my life, with the possible exception of Jane, Thor, and Uncle Steve. It's been kind of like two of the silent children in class meeting and suddenly having a lot to say to the other. We sort of feed off of each other in combat, combining my illusion-casting and her archery to create a pretty deadly force, if I do say so myself. I feel like she's the sister I never had, in a way.

We are informed of our progress on the fifth morning. I come down to the living room, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, and jump about five feet in the air as Nick Fury's ten-foot-tall face greets me on the TV screen. I slam the door shut, every single one of my nerves standing on end. When I open it again, Ace is having a laugh over my fright. I mock-scowl at her and come into the room. Fury greets me with a barely-suppressed chuckle.

"Good morning, Loki. I just came to tell you two some good news."

"Well, that's rare," I say.

He nods. "You have progressed rapidly in your combat class, and now you know just about all that we can teach you two about fighting together as a team. So I have the pleasure of informing you that as of now, phase two of your training begins. We have a variety of real-world scenarios for you to work through together. Once you complete these you are done with the whole program. Scenario One begins in ten minutes. Gear is on the table behind you. Good luck." With this, his image fades and the picture windows return. Ace and I turn to each other, not quite believing what we just heard.

"Wow," she says, summing up my feelings exactly. I hold up my hand.

"High-five!" We slap hands and turn to the table. No sense in wasting valuable time.

Two piles of gear are heaped on the small piece of furniture. New combat suits lie on top of them, replacing the ones we'd worn out in training. Two thick black straps with pockets in them lie under my suit. In each slim pocket lies a throwing knife. I hold them up, confused, until Ace sighs and grabs them from me.

"They're holsters," she explains. "Here, let me show you."

She takes the shorter one and straps it around my right thigh, securing it so it won't flop around.

"See? You have your whole arsenal here, right at your fingertips. Nice upgrade."

I move around a little, and find that it is indeed a nice upgrade. I strap the other one around my upper arm, and glance over at Ace. She's fitting a disk into the bottom of her quiver.

"New arrowheads," she says in response to my questioning look.

"Nice upgrade," I say. She laughs.

The lights dim a few minutes later, letting us know it is time to begin our first scenario. I am practically shaking with eagerness, ready to test out our newly-acquired skills in the real world. Beside me, Ace smiles the cold smile I know now means that she is ready for a fight. The lights turn all the way off, and it begins.

The first few minutes are a blur as we are dropped in the middle of a ring of soldiers who seem bent on killing us. After we've taken care of them, though, we turn to the real task- figuring out how to beat this scenario. A map like the ones in a mall stands in a corner, bright and cheerful and utterly incongruous with the surroundings. A bright pink star sits in the middle of a large square with the words 'You Are Here' painted above it. Another star bearing the words 'You Need To Get Here' is placed outside the square. I roll my eyes as I remember exactly who is designing these scenarios. Her handiwork always has a specific flourish.

"Well, if that's all then let's go," Ace says brightly and sarcastically. Both of us have learned (the hard way) that with Alex, _nothing_ is ever That Easy.

We set off at a fast pace, a knife in my hand and an arrow on her bow. Surprisingly, we make it out of the central room before the machine-gun chatter erupts. We dive for cover, and I can see Ace's eyes lit up brightly with the battle fury I remember seeing in Asgardian warriors' eyes long ago. She nods to me, and by now I am able to decipher her meaning from the simple gesture. I twist my ring, sending two lifelike illusions of us running in the opposite direction of our hiding place. The gunfire follows them, and as they explode into shards of gold light Ace steps out and fires a single arrow, quickly jumping back behind the wall and placing her hands over her ears. I do the same, and a deafening blast follows. The guns stop. Ace grins. We run for it, making it out of another level of the building.

It continues like this, and we make it to the outside of the compound. I stop running and take a moment to _breathe._

"How the heck are we supposed to find-" I begin, but am cut off by Ace grabbing my hand and pulling me along. I see it soon enough- a tree colored bright pink with a large button on it. _Oh, Alex._ I can almost see that smirk on her face.

The next few days are like that, each mission blending together in a swirl of gunfire, illusions, flying arrows, and lots and lots of running. We go through a lot of battles together and share a whole week of life traveling through the world of a secret agent. We save each other's lives innumerable times- it seems like just yesterday that she picked off the sniper who'd had a red dot placed on my forehead, or that I had given her an adrenaline shot straight to the heart so we could make it off an abandoned boat and swim to shore. Now, on our latest mission, Alex has been gracious enough to supply us with a pack of cards and as we sit in our tent listening to the Amazon jungle pour down rain we play a few rounds of poker. We don't have anything to play for, really, so we settle for bragging rights. After losing three hands in a row, however, I admit defeat and she makes me say 'Verusha Jekaterina Wynter Barton is the reigning queen of poker.' It's humiliating. As we both laugh our butts off, I realize that Alex is a genius. I mean really. Who else could have bonded two strangers together so completely in only two weeks? I guess I'll just have to admit to her that she's the reigning queen of stranger-bonding.

After we reach our objective in the Amazon scenario (we'd had to swim across a pink river to get to the button on a canoe floating in the middle of it, thank you very much) the sun goes out and when we can see again we find ourselves standing in the living room again. Exhausted, we flop down on the couches and just sit there, content to rest. We don't notice the windows darkening until Nick Fury's voice booms across the room. Both of us jump about three feet in the air and whirl to face him.

"Ugh..." Ace says. "Warn us or turn down the volume next time!"

Fury hides his smile in a fake cough. "Well, you two have certainly impressed me. You've completed in two weeks what was projected to take three."

Ace and I grin, not bothering to hide our well-earned pride. Fury, businesslike as always, drones on in his congratulatory speech.

"You will be introduced to the adult team the day after you wake up, to allow the drugs which you have been under for two weeks to pass through your systems. You will give them a fighting demonstration to show them exactly what you are capable of, because they still have their doubts, and then you will begin training with them until the team is called out for duty. By then, you'll be full-fledged members of the Avengers Initiative." He pauses. "You have built a fighting team out of scratch," he continues. "That is highly commendable. Although you still have your flaws, which will invariably be sorted out with more practice, you have finished every single scenario Alexandra and I have designed for you. As well as the backup one."

I'm pretty sure our faces light up like Christmas trees at the implications of that statement. Are we going to be allowed out of Dreamland? (Finally?)

"So, Loki Odinson and Verusha Barton, it is my pleasure to tell you that you two are scheduled to wake up tomorrow morning."

I'm sure the smile splitting my face can be seen even on my real body.

I visit Loki again after the scene with Stark and Fury has calmed down. I am still shaken by the day's events. It's not so much the experience of getting blown up or the realization that Nick Fury had chosen proving a point over the morale of the team or even the new experience of watching him back down to Tony Stark that bothered me, but the sheer fact that the Avengers- my team- are back to the drawing board again. And we might be called up anytime. Thoughts like this jostle about in my head, and so I go to talk to the one person I know right now who I can be completely honest with. After all, it's not like he can worry about anything if he can't even hear what I'm saying in the first place.

I push open the door to Room 200 and pull the little stool up next to his bed. Alex is sitting hunched over a computer in the corner, and does not deign to look up as I enter. It's all just as well- I'm not sure if I can talk to her for a while knowing that she was the one who designed this morning's training scenario. So much for the talk. Sitting here will have to suffice. I can hardly see my nephew's face underneath the mask, and his eyes are closed, but it's better somehow knowing that he's there. I sigh and just sit there, not really wanting to do anything else. The room is a peaceful change from the hectic pace of the day, and I soon find my eyelids drooping.

I don't know how much time passes while I'm asleep but when I wake up it's growing dark outside. The first thing I notice is a blanket draped over my shoulders and my head laid on a pillow next to Loki's arm. _Alex._ I guess this is her way of apologizing for this morning. No one else has come into the room and she has left, so I am all alone with the sleeping teenagers. The ghosts of past battlefields come back to me as I see their unmoving forms. I can't help it- I have to check. I sit up slowly and touch Loki's hand. _See? It's warm. He's alive. He...just doesn't look it. _The realization eases the memories a little, but I don't think I can stay in the room any longer. I gently pat his hand before I get up to leave. As I'm in the doorway I hear a slight movement and turn my head to see what it is. He's stirred a little in his sleep, and a small smile decorates his lips. I allow myself a relieved chuckle. The boy always did know how to make me feel better. The ghosts of the past are completely assuaged now, and I remember exactly what makes life worth not giving up on.

After closing the door quietly behind me, I wander aimlessly around Stark Tower until I end up on the top floor again, staring out the floor-to-ceiling picture windows. A bright flash of light catches my eye from somewhere in the city, and I stare at it as it travels up until it's above the buildings before exploding into a flash of brilliant red.

_Of course. _

In all the mayhem of these past few days I'd forgotten exactly what date it is. Only now, as the brilliant fireworks sparkle and light up the New York skyline, do I remember. It's the Fourth of July. I settle myself in a comfortable armchair close to the window and look out at the spectacular display. Stark really has the best view in the city. I watch the man made explosions as they paint the sky a myriad of colors, but they always seem to keep coming back to red, white, and blue. The sparkling lights take me back to a time when the glow in the sky meant only death and suffering, just another in the millions of bombs dropped in the war. The faces of my comrades flash before my eyes as I remember all the good men I'd known who gave their lives so their children could live free. With a little effort, I pull my mind back to the present before memories of the past overwhelm me. What's done is done, I remind myself. Now the bright lights stand as a reminder of the days gone by when we had to fight for our liberty, and represent the equality and freedom of modern-day America.

I scrub my hand across my eyes to clear them of tears I hadn't noticed were even there. Taking a breath, I gaze out on the New York sky and think. It's only when the finale comes and the night sky is lit up as brightly as the sun that I stir from my chair and walk towards the window. I stand there, feet apart, back straight- a silent position of attention in respect to the soldiers I knew and loved like they were my brothers. Red, white, and blue fireworks fill the air, the sparkling shrapnel falling in a rain of patriotic colors. I can't help but smile as I remember a very old friend of mine. He would have loved to see this. I know he can't hear me, but I whisper the words just the same.

"Happy Fourth of July, Bucky. I miss you."

**More A/N: **

Awww :') Happy 4th, you guys! So, if y'all noticed, Loki was having a lot of flashbacks to previous 'training scenarios' he and Ace had been through. We're actually working on a 'deleted scenes' chapter of some of the scenes we thought were too cute/funny/irresistible to _not_ write, and that didn't make it into the book for some reason, and then one of us had this crazy idea... So we put the question to you, dear readers. Would you like to hear the stories of all these scenarios included in the deleted scenes? Would you like to know _why_ Ace needed a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart? Or maybe how Loki could be careless enough to let a sniper get a bead on him in the first place? Or perhaps simply what Alex chose to make pink in each of the scenarios? Let us know :)

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja


	11. Awake

Awake

I finger the hem of my black jacket a little bit nervously. After a good night's sleep Ace and I go to the rooms that we'd woken up in back when we were still strangers. Mr. Stark had contacted us earlier via the TV screen and told us to go to our rooms after we finished sleeping, it would make the transition period easier for them to wake us back up. So here I am lying on the same table that I arrived on, waiting for the tug back to the real world. As I wait, my brain flickers between memories of the past two weeks, thinking of what Alex is going to say to me while I'm still 'higher than a kite,' and worrying over whatever the heck is about to happen. I'm almost glad when my brain suddenly feels sluggish and I begin to get the falling sensation you get in dreams.

My alarm goes off as planned, three in the morning, but I am not asleep. I haven't had a good night's sleep since Loki went under. Honestly, I miss having someone to talk to. I leave my room, not wanting to waste any time. The elevator is not far from my door, so I don't have to worry about waking the others up. I go down to the 66th floor and walk down the chilly hall to the room at the end of the hall. I'm thinking of where to take Loki after he wakes up when Fury passes.

"Morning, sir," I say respectfully. He glares at me much like he did when we failed the training two weeks ago. What's up with him?

I shake it off and open the door to room 200. Alex is on the floor wide eyed, holding her cheek with her left hand. Her eyes are red and puffy, like she has been crying. But it seems that nowadays, when we actually see her, she looks as if she's been crying. After the training she has been more reserved. She hasn't had any meals with us, she is never around, and she never talks to us.

"Alex, what's wrong?" I ask running over to the teen. She gets up and turns her back to me.

"I'm fine," she whispers.

"No you're not," I say, turning her around to face me. "What happened?"

"Nothing..." her hand moves from her face to rake through her hair. That's when I see it. A large bruise forming on her jaw.

"Alex? What in the world happened? Who hit you?"

I rake my brain for possibilities, but none come to me. Wait. Didn't I pass Fury in the hall...? He wouldn't have.

"Please, I'm fine, really. I need to go. I'll be back when they wake up," she says, tears in her eyes.

What has happened to this girl?

It's five AM, finally, the earliest anyone can hope to get Stark down in Room 200 and functioning properly. I sit next to Loki's bedside, as has become my habit over these past two weeks. I'll never let anyone know I've been sitting around here since three. Stark, at least, would never let me live it down. The machines the teenagers are hooked up to began the detoxing process just as they had gotten to sleep last night, and now they are much more awake than I have seen them since they first went under. Which is not much, but a few muscles twitching here and there are far better than the still corpses I'm used to seeing. The aforementioned genius billionaire stumbles into the room, absently sipping a coffee.

"Morning, Cap," he mumbles. I lift my head in response.

"You're sure you're awake enough to be messing around with these two?" I ask.

He nods. "Oh, sure."

"Somehow I'm not reassured by that."

He grins and sets his coffee down. "Oh come on now, Steve. Am I really not worthy of your trust?"

I raise an eyebrow.

"On second thought, don't answer that one."

I look up and sigh. He just chuckles. "Relax, Steve. I've got them." He flips a few switches and turns a dial on the blinking machinery. "Clint and Natasha should be around soon, right?" he asks.

"Yeah, they wanted to be here."

No sooner are the words out of my mouth than the married agents come in. Alex Stark follows, dressed in a lab coat. She hurries over to her father ready to get to work. He looks at her with a smile, but it fades as he sees the nasty bruise and the red-rimmed eyes. She says something and he nods in agreement. And together they begin working on the machines. I sit and watch all the activity, keeping my gaze on my unconscious nephew. The shockingly un-leaderlike thought starts to hammer through my brain. _If Stark hurts him in any way, so help me, I will kill him._ A few minutes later, Alex turns to me and says the words I've been waiting an hour and a half for.

"We just started the process. They should be coming round in thirty minutes."

***  
The last clear image I see for a while is the ceiling of the grey room. Then everything spins and I feel like I'm going to be sick. Oddly enough, the memory of going on a tilt-a-whirl with Uncle Steve is what comes to mind. All the colors of the rainbow flash in front of my eyes at the same time, and I seem to be falling a long way. But- my destination is a small spot of light. It gets bigger, expanding, and then colors start to form in it. A red t-shirt, blonde hair, brown hair, white coat, blinding lights. I'm pulled back into reality with a jerk.

The bright overhead lights of the room come into focus at last and I see that Uncle Steve is to my left and Alex is to my right. A huge smile decorates Uncle Steve's face, but Alex is not wearing her usual smirk. I smile back at them both weakly, still not fully in control of my body.

"Hey."

"Hi, Loki. Welcome back," Uncle Steve replies. I look over at Alex. Her eyes are all red like she's been crying. My face turns to concern.

"Hi." She smiles a sad smile. Her hair moves and I see a rather nasty bruise forming on her jawline. She starts to walk away, and I try to grab her arm. I only succeed in moving my hand a fraction of an inch, but it's enough. She comes back.

"What happened?" I ask. I'm not really sure why I'm so concerned, but I feel really protective of her at this moment.

"It's nothing," she whispers. I look her in the eyes. She's lying. I don't pry, not wanting to make her cry any more than she already seems to have. Instead, against my better judgement, I sit up. The world tilts crazily, but I manage to wrap her in a clumsy embrace. She returns it, whispering a "thank you" as we break.

"Lay down," she insists. "You need to rest."

I nod, not feeling well enough to argue.

I hold my wife's hand tightly as we stand over our sleeping daughter. Tony comes over to us and says that he's going to start waking her up while his daughter wakes Loki up. He punches a few buttons into a handheld computer and the machines gently whirr, stopping the flow of one of the drugs. A few more buttons and a clear liquid begins streaming down the tube, most likely something to aid her in regaining consciousness.

"A few minutes," he says. We nod.

I bid the bland ceiling a not-so-fond farewell and gladly surrender myself to the free-fall that I know is a prelude to my waking up. At first everything is black, but then the same colors that I'd seen when I bid the world good-night come back and flash before my eyes. Brown, red, silver, and a pervasive bright white. I fall faster- but now I'm not falling. I'm rushing up, as if from the bottom of the deep end of the pool. I remember my first swimming lesson, how terrified I was when I touched the seemingly endless water. The same fear places its cold hand around me now, of drowning alone with no one to save me. As if from far away, I'm dimly aware of my voice screaming for pape. The colors grow in intensity until I finally break the surface.

By now, Ace is shifting around a lot in her bed, and we can catch snatches of words. She's talking nonsense- something about a pool. Her heart monitor speeds up. Her mutterings grow louder and more coherent until she finally whispers something all of us can hear.

"Pape! Don't let me drown!"

I reach out and grip the arm that doesn't have IV's and tubes running into it.

"I'm here, Ace," I say firmly. "I am _not_ letting you drown."

My eyes shoot open but then close just as quickly against the flood of light.

"Pape?" I croak through a dry throat. "Mama? Are you there?"

I feel a hand around my left arm and a cool hand on my cheek.

"Yes, malyutka, we're here." I turn my head so it rests in my mama's hand.

"I know," I whisper.

After the adults are satisfied that Ace and I aren't dead, and are indeed fine and functioning somewhat normally, they all file out to give us some rest. When I had woken up there was a curtain separating my bed from Ace's but before she leaves Alex is nice enough to pull it back for us, so that we can talk without much effort.

"You know you still have to tell all the adults that I'm the reigning queen of poker," Ace says from across the room five minutes later.

"That was _not_ part of the deal!"

"Sure it was! We played for bragging rights! I won, and I am prepared to use those rights to my full advantage!"

I roll my eyes, then remember she can't see me.

"I rolled my eyes at you, your majesty."

"Aww, it's okay, my servant. Jealousy is a normal affliction for all those not blessed with the queen's awesome poker skills."

We both laugh briefly, the movement still hurting a little on our empty stomachs. The door swings open, revealing Alex. She looks at the two of us then smiles. I have to admit, I love it when she smiles. She has such a beautiful sweet smile when she's not smirking. I can't help but return the gesture. She walks over to Ace and checks her monitors then does the same to me. She touches my arm gently before walking back out. I'm surprised the heart monitors don't pick up my heart as it beats a little faster. I don't understand the feelings, but I like them.

"Ohhhh," Ace says knowingly from across the room. "So you _do_ like her."

"_Like her?_"

"To borrow an American term; dafuq, bro? It's practically _oozing_ off of you!"

I sigh, making sure she catches the exasperated note lacing it. All she does is chuckle.

"I know you better than that. You can't be annoyed with me for pointing out the obvious."

She's right. I suppose I have Nick Fury to thank for introducing me to someone who knows me almost better than I do and is not afraid to make fun of me for it. It's quite annoying sometimes, this having-a-sister lark.

We lie in silence for a while, each pretty well exhausted from those two minutes of conversation. Honestly, I have no idea how Fury expects us to be operating at full capacity tomorrow. After about an hour of dozing on and off, the door swings open and Alex comes back in.

"Hey, guys," she says, sounding a little distracted. I look over and see why; she's balancing a huge tray in one hand and closing the door with the other. "So I've been assigned to feed you two brunch or whatever meal it's time for. And to generally monitor your recoveries. If you feel sick, don't bother eating right now, it'll all come back up later."

"What if we're hungry and feel sick?" Ace asks rebelliously. Leave it to her.

"Don't eat. Trust me on this one."

"I'm not sick, just hungry," Ace replies with a silver tongue. I glance over at her. Yup, she's definitely lying. I raise my eyebrows in a silent question but she shrugs it off, accepting a small bowl of applesauce from Alex.

"I'm hungry too," I pipe up. Alex mock-scowls at me.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she says sarcastically. I beam back at her innocently.

"Hey, watch whose title you're throwing around there," Ace says indignantly, mouth half full of applesauce. I roll my eyes. Alex holds back a giggle and holds out another bowl to me. I start to sit up and reach my hand out to take it but the world lurches and I fall back down onto my pillow, suitably embarrassed. I can hear her stifle another giggle.

"Don't laugh at a sick man," I say, a lot more weakly than I'd expected. She rolls her eyes and puts the tray down on a stool that's standing near my bed. Taking the bowl in her left hand and a spoon in her right she begins the torture. Well, I say torture because every mouthful she feeds me Ace nearly dies laughing. It is properly humiliating. Add that to the obvious giggles she's holding back and I am pretty miserable.

My troubles conclude when I'm almost finished and I manage to spill some of the applesauce on my chin. While lying down. And being spoon-fed. And... yes, the list can go on. But as Ace goes over the moon laughing, Alex doesn't laugh at my mishap. Instead she picks up a soft napkin and carefully wipes my face off, bringing her face closer than is really necessary to see what she's doing and smoothing my hair back with a cool hand when she's done. And somehow, that makes it all worth it.

"Tony, we need to talk," Pepper, my oh so loving wife, says walking into my lab.

"Not now, dear. I'm working," I reply.

"Tony," she says pulling me around to face her. "Now."

I sigh, but agree. We walk over to the couch and sit facing each other.

"It's about Alex," she starts.

"What about Alex?" I ask.

"I think you know. The crying? Being so reserved? The bruise? Come on, Tony. I know you are just as worried as I am."

I wish I could deny this, but I can't. She does have a point, and I hate it when she does. Alex has been acting weird ever since the incident with the training. I look at Pepper hoping to see the strong woman who keeps me on track, but instead I see what I feared, a worried mother. And there is nothing worse then a worried mother, and Pepper, well, she's one of the worst.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask taking her hands in mine.

"I want you to talk to her."

"Pep, I have tried. She just shuts me out, and that's not like my Alex. I'm not used to being ignored," I say.

"Tony, I'm not here to talk about your bruised ego, I'm here to talk about our daughter's bruised face," she replies coldly.

"I don't know what to do, Pep. I really don't. Maybe we should just give her some time alone."

"I'm afraid that if we do that..." she trails off into a fit of tears. I hate to see my wife cry. It's as bad as seeing my little girl cry. Instinctively, I take her into my arms and hold her tight.

"What are you afraid of, my love?"

"... that if... if we do... then... we will..." She takes a deep shuddering breath. "I'm afraid that if we do then we will lose her forever."

I pull her tighter to me.

"Nothing, hear me? Nothing! Will ever let us lose her forever. I will fight for her, and I know there is nothing on this planet, or any other, in this universe or another, that would stop you from helping our little girl," I comfort.

After a few moments of silence she answers.

"You're right..."

"I know I am. That's why I'm the genius!" She shoots me a glare saying that that was not what she wanted to hear. So I add to my previous statement. "It is also why I love you."

She kisses me lightly. "I love you too, Tony."

Natasha and I are stretched out on a couch in the top floor of Stark Tower, talking. We are both relieved at our daughter's return to the real world and still a little shaken from seeing our darling so weak and afraid, not a thing we're used to seeing on a regular basis. So we turn to each other, talking about anything and everything for a good two hours. Then the conversation turns to Verusha.

"I...I'm just afraid, Clint," my wife gets the words off her chest. I can tell they've been worrying at her for a long time.

"Why, Nat?" I ask gently, pushing a strand of her bright red hair out of her face.

"You remember Loki. You remember what he did. To the world. To New York. To the team. To you."

I suck in a breath as I remember my time spent in the service of Loki and his magical glowing stick. It's not a time I want to relive.

"I know," I say slowly.

"And now our daughter is close to him, practically a sister."

"We don't know that, love." I do my best to sound reassuring but she sees straight through it.

"Clint. You've worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. as long as I have, longer even. you know how it is in a fighting team. The whole _reason_ they fight so well together is because they _know_ each other, inside and out. You know that if they've got out early they've been successful. And you know that if they've been successful what means they're now pretty much bonded permanently."

I nod carefully.

"Do you realize that our daughter is now as good as sister to a...a monster?"

"Nat, now that's not fair. We don't know how much he's changed. I mean, he's been raised by Captain America, for crying out loud!"

The look on her face tells me that those are not the best words of comfort I've ever chosen.

"Really, though. Remember when we met?"

Her eyes wander back to another place and time.

"Remember why we met?"

"You made a different call," she says, still lost in the memories.

"Well...what if I'm making a different call about Loki, too?" I say gently, stroking her cheek. "Everyone deserves a second chance, even a guy like him."

These words from the very man who Loki had made his personal flying monkey crack something in her defenses. All the worry gushes out of her like air from a balloon. She practically melts in my arms.

"I trust you, Clint. And I hope you're right."

"I do too," I say. "I do, too."

"I'm worried, Thor," I say.

"What troubles thee?" his voice rings out across the room like- well, thunder.

"Well, I'm worried about Loki," I reply.

"Is he harmed in any way?" The paternal worry in his voice would be sweet if I could appreciate it.

"No. It's nothing like that. It's more of... well... his... relationships," I say, attempting to broach the matter gently.

"Has he finally attained his manhood?" I can't help it. My hand flies to my face in an epic display of frustration that I have heard Tony refer to as a 'facepalm.'

"Well, no. But I fear he soon will. With the _wrong_ girl. I'm trying to urge him in the right direction, but it seems to be going off in left-field."

"What is this left-field you speak of?" wonders the Norse god aloud.

"Never mind. It's just a phrase that means...not going well."

"I see. So you worry of Loki beginning to have romantic feelings about a girl?"

"No! It's not that! It's the girl, Thor! I don't like the _girl_ he has romantic feelings for," I snap.

"I think I understand. Go on."

"You have no idea do you?"

"You have, as they say, caught me red-handed. I apologize."

"Think, Thor. Have you noticed Loki acting strangely around any... particular girl?" I ask. I want him to understand, but at this point, I'm just about ready to slap him.

His face finally lights up in understanding. "You worry about the time he has spent in the so-called 'virtual reality program' with the Bartons' child." He seems proud of his discovery.

"No! Think again." I'm glad Banner is not the one questioning Thor about this, because if he was Stark Tower would be in shreds right now.

"Well...the only other young lady around here is the Starks' daughter," he says slowly. "Is she the one of which you speak?"

I nod, finally relaxing a bit.

"You haven't noticed?" I ask.

Thor looks sheepish. "I'm afraid that during the first few breakfasts we shared all together the coffee was of more interest to me. It is such a delightful mortal drink-"

"Thor, listen. I've seen the way Loki looks at Alex, and if I'm right, we are all in deep trouble. Not only will Fury kill us for real, he will break up the team and Stark will kill Loki! Don't you see the problem? Alex is his little girl, he would do anything for her, and Loki, with his past, is not in the cards as a good potential love interest."

"I begin to see your meaning..." Thor looks pensive and rests his bearded chin on a meaty hand. "What do you think is necessary for us to do about it?"

"I think we need to leave. We need to get Loki away from her influence. Stark will understand, and we'll only be a thundercloud ride from New York. I'm sure he can see it too. I don't think he wants us here if Alex and Loki are indeed interested in each other."

"Steve," Thor says, as if humoring a small child, "that idea is far off in left-field. We are happy here and I see no reason why we should leave the team."

"You don't believe me?" I ask, shocked.

"You are credible, Steve, but I do think that on this matter you are indeed off in left-field."

"When they do end up together, you will regret not leaving," I say, sadly, before walking out of the door.

Once Alex leaves, Ace falls asleep right away. I stay up a little though, not tired yet. I guess the drugs are more concentrated in her system because of the simple fact that she's a good ten inches shorter and about seventy pounds lighter than I am. I know that sounds stalkerish, but it's just another perk of getting to know each other for two weeks straight.

I settle for gazing at the ceiling again, and within a few minutes I start to feel sleepy. I stay dozing on and off all day as my body recovers from the heavy sedation it has been under. Once it gets dark outside, though, my internal clock perks up quite a bit and I no longer want to sleep. Ace's breathing is still caught in the steady pattern of deep rest, and I don't want to wake her up just to satiate my own boredom. I have just begun to count the speckles on the ceiling tiles to keep from going mad when the door swings open with the slightest of creaks. I raise my head slightly and see Alex entering, pillow and blanket slung over her shoulder. Her lab coat has been exchanged for a lacy pink tank top, and her slacks for fleecy pants. She unfolds a small cot in the corner, closer to my bed than Ace's. As she spreads a sheet over it and flops her pillow down at its head, I prop myself up onto an elbow. When she sits down on her makeshift bed, lost in thought, I finally speak up.

"So, you going to tell me what you're doing sleeping in here with us?"

She jumps and stifles a shriek. "Jeez, warn a girl next time!"

I raise my eyebrows at her in mock-fury. "You're avoiding the question."

She sighs. "You're hopeless."

"Still haven't answered."

Letting out a groan, she punches her pillow and looks back at me. She shakes her head before walking over to the head of my bed. She checks all the machines I'm hooked up to in a businesslike way. "I'm on duty tonight to make sure you two don't have any complications in your recovery. Good enough, Mr. Busybody?"

"Good answer," I reply, sitting back in my bed to avoid the coming wave of nausea. She takes a seat on the edge of the mattress.

"So you feeling any better?" I pretend to consider this for a moment.

"If feeling like a herd of buffaloes have trampled me a few times counts as better, then yes," I reply in a teasing manner. She grins.

"Well if you're feeling good enough to snark at me, you're progressing finely."

I return the smile. "I think there's something wrong with the IV in my hand there, though."

Her brows knit and she immediately bends over my left hand, minutely examining it as only a trained nurse can.

"What's wrong with your hand?" she asks after inspecting it. "Nothing's out of place, and there's no-"

I cut her off by placing my hand in hers. "It's missing yours."

She's surprised for only a second, but then she squeezes my hand gently. "You're a smooth operator, aren't you?"

"I try."

She laughs softly. "So, Mr. Slick-With-The-Ladies, tell me a secret."

"You're bold, aren't you?"

"Nicely played. Okay, I'll go first. I am _deathly_ afraid of..." her voice lowers conspiratorially. "...jellyfish."

I hold back a laugh, exhaling quietly instead. "Okay...um...Sometimes I eat my oreos backwards, you know, cream filling then cookie."

She gasps. "You do not!"

I nod cheekily. "Do too."

"Well, sometimes I steal all the leftover cheesecake Pepper hides in the freezer and keep it in my room to eat later. Especially right after my Sweet 16. I fed for weeks."

I chuckle. "Well, _my_ 16th birthday was kind of a disaster. Uncle Steve and Thor got drunk and we stayed at the restaurant till one in the morning because Uncle Steve had the keys."

She pats my hand sympathetically. "Aww, it's okay." Then, in keeping with the more serious turn the conversation has taken, she shares something I hadn't expected.

"My biggest fear...is being left alone," she says, her eyes wide and bright in the moonlight that has found its way into Room 200. I solemnly nod, not wanting to interrupt whatever is going on here.

"My biggest fear is being left alone, too," I say softly.

"No way," the answer comes very quietly. I hold her hand a little tighter.

"Don't worry," I say, trying to comfort her. "we can not be alone together."

She gives me a small but genuine smile. We stay like that for a while, talking back and forth about anything less serious than fears. It's amazing, really, how long I'm able to stay awake. But when my eyelids finally start to drop, she nods understandingly, gives my hand a small squeeze, and gets up to go to her cot. I go to sleep smiling, knowing she's there if anything decides to happen during the night.

I am woken up by the sound of footsteps crossing the room at a run and a pitiful groan. I am awake immediately, whipping my head around to see Ace sitting up in bed holding her stomach. Alex grabs something from the floor and holds it in front of her face. Just in time too- my poor teammate heaves and empties her stomach into the bucket. Alex just sits there, patting her shoulder as she starts dry heaving. Once she's done Alex takes the bucket out of the room, holding it gingerly. Ace moans and flops back down on her bed, both arms wound tightly around her stomach. I guess her previous lunch had come back to haunt her. It is really her fault for taking it when she was feeling sick. I get the feeling she really took it to spite Alex.

"So, my queen," I begin insolently. "Pray tell your humble servant how such a grievous malady could have befallen Your Highness?"

All I hear in response is a string of angry Russian that sounds suspiciously like a death threat. Somehow it's much less effective muttered through a hospital bedsheet.


	12. You've Been Warned

You've Been Warned

Nick Fury comes to get us the very next morning. We're already awake and I'm surprised by how much better I feel- like I could take on the world and then some. Ace is still a little woozy but it wears off after she eats a well-rounded breakfast and steals most of my cinnamon roll.

"It's for the good of the team," she explains as I watch my roll disappear down her throat.

I simply roll my eyes. I'm not able to resist the temptation of having the last word, though.

"Just don't throw it up, Your Majesty." I am rewarded by a pillow to the face. Yeah, she's feeling better.

"At least I don't 'eat my Oreos the wrong way,'" she says. I freeze. _She'd heard that...?_

I stare at her. She grins innocently and turns over in her bed, giving me her back. I throw her pillow back at her.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Oh, just something about...not being alone together. Then I got bored and went back to sleep."

I sigh in exasperation. "Glad to know I'm boring."

"You know, you two really do make a great couple."

"Thank you-"

"It's sickening."

Her mischievous grin lets me know she's mostly kidding.

"Uh, thank you."

"You are most welcome, my humble servant."

I'm glad Alex has left to get coffee. She won't see my whole face turn scarlet.

Fury seats us all behind a large pane of Plexiglas, looking out over a large arena-like floor. It's the first time I've gotten a spectator view of the training room. Beside me, Natasha seems nervous. I don't blame her, really. I'm not exactly looking forward to see what Fury has made our daughter into. But it's for the good of the team. I have to keep repeating that to myself.

Fury's voice rings out over the PA system. I know he's up in the control room above the arena, setting up the simulation and letting Ace and Loki know that it's showtime.

"Greetings, Avengers. I'd like to introduce two new candidates for the team. This scenario, I hope, will give you a taste of what Loki and Verusha have learned in these past two weeks."

A door opens at the far end of the training room, and two teenagers walk out. They're both dressed in black pants, black boots, and twin black jackets with white T-shirts underneath. The taller one has two knife holsters and a large ring, but no other visible weaponry. The shorter one has a folded silver bow strapped to her thigh and a black quiver slung across her back. She looks the same as the Ace who fell asleep in Stark's virtual reality program two weeks ago, but the way she holds herself and her confident stride, matching Loki's, tells of how much she's changed since then. They stand in the middle of the floor, looking up at us. I can tell everyone else is impressed by the auras of control and confidence that emanate from the two.

"You have five minutes to disable all twenty of your attackers," Fury says over the PA. _Wait. Twenty attackers-?_

They nod, going back to back and lowering themselves into fighting crouches. The timer goes off, making us all jump.

_Bzzzz_

As soon as the buzzer sounds, enemies materialize all around the two. All of us take in breaths as we recognize the half-alien, half-robot forms. The Chitauri. But instead of big generals leading the company, five tall blue forms head the small army. _Who are those-_

"Frost giants! By Odin's beard!" Thor bellows. _Oh._

"Do you _ever_ say things the normal way?" comes Stark's incredulous remark.

Thor looks like he's about to reply but doesn't pursue the argument, instead turning his attention back to Loki and Ace. They've sized up the situation already, and Ace keys a sequence into her gauntlet, arming an arrow. She whips it out, fits it on her bowstring, fires, and blows up seven Chitauri in a single fluid motion. I resist the urge to cheer. _That's my girl._

"Seven down!" she shouts.

"Thirteen to go!" Loki responds. My heart swells with pride.

Loki runs toward the frost giants, but skids to a halt when he's five feet in front of them. He stands, staring them down. One of them advances and slices the boy in half with a huge icy sword. We collectively gasp, horrified, but Loki's form disappears in a burst of golden light. Thor lets out a yell of appreciation. Stark sighs and puts his head in his hands.

"I apologize," Thor says, not sounding particularly sorry. A sickening _crack_ brings our attention back to the fight, and we look up in time to see the giant's head rolling across the floor and Loki jumping off his shoulders onto the head of another giant, slitting his throat. He rolls as he hits the ground, and takes two steps backwards. One by one the giants fall. Once there are no more, Loki moves back to the middle of the room where Ace is.

"Twelve down," he remarks, almost as an afterthought. Ace grins a cold grin.

"Eight left."

The next few minutes of the demonstration are the ones that convince us Fury has done his work well. As the Chitauri regroup into a circle around the two and begin advancing, about ten copies of Loki pop up, each finding a soldier and attacking. They're not real and can't do any damage, but as the soldiers try to fight off the new attackers a carefully aimed arrow flies and hits each of them in the middle of their foreheads. The count of live Chitauri grows less and less, until as the illusions clear only three are left. They charge at the teens, weapons bristling. Ace picks off the one charging her just as it's about to slash at her, but another one appears behind it, weapon at the ready. A hand pushes her shoulder down and she responds quickly, ducking down. Loki punches it hard in the chin, and I can hear the bone snap. From her kneeling position, Ace draws, aims around Loki's leg, and fires in the blink of an eye, killing the soldier that was about to stab him in the back. He helps her up and they stand up.

"Nineteen down..." Loki trails off.

"One to go," Ace finishes.

_Thirty seconds remaining,_ the computer says.

They both look around frantically, and finally Loki looks up and sees it. A lone Chitauri pilot flies a small chariot-like vehicle above them. Ace turns to Loki.

"Up and away," her voice rings out across the mostly empty floor. He nods and she takes a few paces back from him, turns, and sprints toward him. He knits his fingers together, sets them on his knee, and as she plants a foot in his cupped hands he hurls her into the air. She catches a surprising amount of air, flying and tackling the pilot right out of his seat. They land with a dull thud, Ace's back hitting the floor first. The pilot gets up quickly but she remains there, trying to regain her breath. It's about to stab downward at her but as if confused it drops the weapon and crumples to its knees. A shining knife sticks out of the back of its head. Loki stands a few feet away, his hand still up from throwing the projectile. Ace props herself up on an elbow and gives him a thumbs-up.

"Twenty down," he says.

_Bzzzz. _

It's silent for a moment, then the whole room erupts in cheers.

"Welcome to the Avengers," Fury's voice rings out.

"I need you to make me another scenario," Fury says, after Loki and Ace have finished proving their new team skills and are upstairs celebrating with the original Avengers.

"I thought we went through this. I am not making you another bloodbath," I reply.

"And I thought I made it clear what would happen if you didn't." He motions to my jawline. I shiver, remembering the incident.

"I don't care anymore. You can do whatever you want to me. I am not going to watch them die again. Never again."

He draws himself up, and a change comes over his face. His good eye seems to flame a bright ruby red. His face shifts from dark skin to a transparent blue, showing off patchworks of veins and bones. He sneers at me, and his teeth are crooked and broken. He laughs a terrible, grating laugh. I cover my ears and try to scream. A cold hand closes over my mouth. He brings his face closer to mine. My heart races with pure and absolute fear.

"It's not your life I'm after. I would hate to see your little godling pay for your insolent refusal to comply." My eyes grow even bigger. Loki. I pull away from the monster.

"Don't you dare touch him!" I scream. "This has nothing to do with him!"

"You have been warned." He turns back to his normal self then. He moves to the door, but before he leaves, he looks over his shoulder. "I expect the plans on my desk tomorrow morning."

I don't know how I ended up here, but I fall on my bed and start crying. I'm terrified for my life and now Loki's. I cry for a good hour and when I've spent my tears I sit up, realizing what I have to do. I crawl over to my computer, not trusting my legs yet, and open up my training scenario designing program. I'll make Fury- or whatever he is now- a scenario, but it won't be bloody at all if I can help it.

A good two hours later I'm done and shakily ask Jarvis to send the plans to Director Fury. I shove my computer away from me, feeling utterly useless. All I do is design scenarios for the team. Nothing more. I feel like I could cry again, but I've used up all my tears. Instead a cold rage begins to wash over my mind, replacing my previous depression. It ends now. I _will_ be worth something to the team, if it kills me. But how? How can a girl like me, with no fighting experience or planning experience or special powers or...or...or. Or. An idea forms in my mind and a smile creeps over my face. _Of course. _I get up from my bed, changing into a pair of athletic pants and a T-shirt.

"Jarvis? Hold the elevator. I need to visit my dad's lab."

I get into the elevator and ride it smoothly down until the doors open on the huge testing floor of Daddy's weapons lab.

"What are we doing here, ma'am?" Jarvis finally asks. I smile.

"We are becoming useful."


	13. The Curtain Lifts

The Curtain Lifts

I sit in the viewing area, watching the new team assemble in the center of the floor. I close my eyes and give thanks that this new scenario that I've designed doesn't involve anyone dying. The buzzer rings and the team is plunged into darkness, with a single lightbulb giving them barely enough light to see by. _So far so good._ The masked men enter right on cue. But- my stomach twists as I see that the masks aren't the plain black I'd designed. They're a pale blue with red eyes. My hands fly to my mouth and I feel like vomiting as I realize the _thing_ has tampered with my scenario. I stay glued to the seat, though, horror and curiosity keeping me in place. It's all up to the team now.

As the buzzer goes off, Ace and I move back to back like we had done so many times in the virtual reality program. We're completely ready for our first training with the team. But when the lights go off I begin to have second thoughts. Ace grabs my wrist as the doors bang open and a stream of masked men come in. We leave the original team to fight them and we creep around the edges of the room in search of an exit.

_Click._

The sound of a gun cocking freezes my blood in my veins. Ace's hand stops pulling mine along, and her hands slowly come up on top of her head. A hand shoves her to her knees. The cold flash of the gun sparks next to her temple. It's held by one of the masked men. I try to jump forward, to get the weapon out of his hands, but two pairs of arms grab me and hold me steady, facing her. She looks at me as if to say it's alright, it's not my fault, and then the gun goes off.

The muffled gunshot rings through my ears, and I immediately know it means trouble. Grabbing my husband's arm, I pull him to the side of the room. A terrible sight meets our eyes. Loki kneels beside the limp form of our daughter. All my doubts in him are proven right. He cannot protect her. We should never have- My thoughts are cut off as his face twists in pain and he falls next to her. A masked man stands behind Loki. The man pulls a long silver blade from the boy's body. A shot from my gun fells him where he stands.

I turn from the fight to look for Loki. I need to make sure he is okay. Those two gunshots didn't sound very reassuring. Instead, I see Natasha and Clint kneeling over two bodies. I close my eyes. _Oh, Alex. Wasn't one time enough? _At this point the masked men all disappear into thin air. _What the-?_ I don't really stop to think it through, but sprint over to the two smaller bodies.

Loki is lying on the floor, blood spreading in a pool around his lower back. His face looks so much like the little boy I used to know, used to tuck into bed and reassure him that there were no monsters in his closet. I turn my head. I can't look at his dead form anymore.

"Anybody know where the masked people went?" Stark asks, looking around the room in confusion. I clench my fists slowly and whirl to face him.

"Stark! Does it even _matter_ anymore?"

"Of course it does," he replies, sounding affronted. "we're still in the simulation! Hello!"

Natasha pipes up angrily from behind me. "Will you just _shut it,_ Stark? We are sick and tired of your daughter killing us all off!"

I have to agree. "She went too far this time. Even you have to admit it. She killed _Loki and Verusha_."

"Well, maybe if you had been paying attention, then you could have protected your criminal nephew and his little girlfriend!"

We stand there in shock, not quite believing what we've just heard. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Clint gripping his wife's arm tightly, holding her back from all-out attacking Stark.

"What? Can't handle the fact that your little girl is dating a monster?" Stark says with a smirk.

"Loki is not a monster!" I yell indignantly. Stark raises an eyebrow critically. We all hear it, but none of us care anymore. So the grenade explodes, sending us all into the welcome blackness.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Fury's yell comes from above us. I hear footsteps running and I know we're all in trouble as soon as he comes through the door. So I focus on getting my team back on their feet to receive the tongue-lashing we all deserve. As I offer my hand to Loki and he gets up a wave of nausea shoots through my stomach. _See? He's still alive._ I have to suppress the horrible memories of war, and manage to draw myself up to face Fury.

"Okay, dying. I don't want to do it again," Loki mutters. I choke out a laugh, just glad to have my nephew back.

"What is wrong with you all? What happened out there?" Fury questions.

"We are tired of dying in these simulations, Fury. I think you've more than proved your point. Time for a new designer." I look hard at Stark as I say this.

"I didn't design that scenario!" another voice rings out clearly. Alex stands in the doorway. She moves quickly across the room, positioning herself between the team and Nick Fury. "Why don't you tell them, Fury, or whatever your name is. Tell them how you blackmailed me into designing the first one, or tell them how you changed this one. While you're at it why don't you tell them exactly how I got this?" She motions to the bruise decorating her jaw. I can hear Stark's sharp intake of breath.

"Or maybe you should just skip the backstory and tell us all who- or more precisely _what_- you are? And what you've done with the real Fury?"

We are all stunned into silence, and in that silence a sound like nails scraping across a chalkboard begins, softly and then louder and louder. Fury's laughing. But wait- it's not Fury anymore. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is changing, growing taller until he easily stands a foot over poor Alex. His skin turns a sickening translucent blue and his eyes begin glowing like twin red embers.

"You all seem surprised to see me," he says. His voice has changed, too, to a deep monstrous growl. "Including the little godling here. A pity, I didn't think I'd left such a _fleeting impression._"

I glance back at Loki, who is shooting a confused look in Thor's direction. I close my eyes as the thing in front of us continues.

"Oh, or perhaps it's because Odin the All-Father didn't let him remember his past? I don't blame him. It's not something for the mind of a child."

I can read the thoughts as they cross Loki's face. _Thor? What? He's told me all about his past. It's glorious. Who would want to forget such a past? But then who-_

The creature leans forward. "I'm talking about you, godling."

"I told you! Leave Loki out of this! It has nothing to do with him!" Alex screams.

"It has everything to do with him, my dear."

Loki recoils in horror as the apparition lifts a hand and traces his forehead with a single claw.

"Oh, it's wonderful how you think he's so safe," the fake Fury continues in his rumbling voice. "Just because of a simple spell the All-Father placed on his mind. But you have yet to learn-"

He places both palms on Loki's temples.

"-the full power of my master!" A flash of blinding blue erupts from his hands and Loki screams. Before he can fall to his knees, the creature grabs his wrists and holds him up for us all to see. Blue crawls down Loki's arms as the giant holds on to him. His eyes are riveted to his changing skin, and I can see the weight of all his memories that have been successfully withheld from him for twelve years as they come crashing down on him full-force. When the transformation is complete the apparition steps back. Loki falls to the floor. Alex and Ace rush to his side, grabbing his shoulders and hauling him upright. He squirms under their touch and jumps up. His now-red eyes are wide in fright.

"Don't touch me!" he yells, backing away. "I'm a-" his voice breaks "-a monster!" He turns and sprints out of the room as hard as he can. The creature chuckles, low and rasping. We turn back to him. His laughs melt into a sound like a tornado, and his body begins to disintegrate into a red dust storm. It whirls around, enveloping the giant in a swirling red cloud. Above us, a portal much like the one opened with the Tesseract appears, about five feet wide. A dark space punctured by a few points of light shows beyond the gateway. The red dust begins to be sucked upward, disappearing into the portal. From within it, a new and still more terrible voice cries out,

"Consider this only the first of the many heartbreaks you will face if you continue to cross Thanos the Destroyer!"


	14. Just A Kiss

**Authors' Note:**

So. Three chapters in one day. You're welcome! By the way, we were a little disappointed that our previous question wasn't answered by our faithful reviewers! Go back to chapter 10 and re-read the last note. And please answer :) We need to know about our deleted scenes! Well, in other news, we felt awesomely creative today so y'all were endowed with three new chapters! And the fact that we couldn't just leave Loki's situation the way it was...too sad... So enjoy the happy conclusion to the previous two chapters!

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**Just A Kiss**

Loki doesn't show up for the rest of the day, and all the adults are in a deep conference about this new (and pretty scary, if you ask me) development. So I take advantage of my unsupervised time to go down to Daddy's lab and continue what I'd begun last night.

I hadn't really gotten to do much on my idea, but I had chosen the smallest suit I could find. After all, it is going to be much easier to learn how to pilot one of Daddy's old Iron Man suits if it at least somewhat fits me.

The suit doesn't fit completely, but it's close enough. Besides, all I want to do is practice. I have the feeling that, with the way things are going right now, we'd need all the help we could get. I move over to the metal testing plate. I need to work on my flight because without it, I'm basically a sitting duck. Which the team does not need. They need help.

"Power one percent," I inform Jarvis.

"Yes, ma'am," he responds.

"Okay. On three. One... Two... Three!" I take the position and the thrusters lift me off the floor. I hover above the metal plate for a good twenty seconds before killing the power. I land on my feet, unharmed. _Well, that went better than expected_. I look over at Dummy, a robot of my fathers with a fire extinguisher attached for a head.

"No! Bad boy!" I yell at him. He lowers his head as if sad.

"Bring it up to five percent," I say.

"Ma'am, I don't think-"

"Jarvis, I said bring it up to five percent."

"Yes, ma'am."

Once again I count. And once again, the thrusters perform up to par. _Great!_ What next? Twenty? No, too dangerous. Umm... fifteen? That's a good number.

"Fifteen percent," I say. Jarvis obliges, giving up on talking me down. I count. On three my feet leave the plate, but unlike the last two time, they do not stay under me. Instead, I flip- moving toward the ceiling. I scream in surprise.

I move my arms trying to regain balance, and trying to get upright. I just want to be upright! I remember Dad showing me a way to balance. Moving my arms out is my best option. But- like everything in the past few days- none of it goes as planned. My left hand's thruster brushes against my right arm in an attempt to turn.

The power dies at this perfect moment, sending me plummeting down towards the metal plate. Somehow I end up uninjured in the landing, but the red hot metal on my skin starts to burn.

"Get me out of this thing!" I cry. White smoke envelops me in a cloud cooling the metal, but not before the damage is done. I turn to Dummy. He had done his job, but not quick enough. We should have donated him when we had the chance.

The robotic arms remove the suit from my body. Once out of it I look down at my wrist. A rather large section of what used to be tan flesh is now an irritated pink color. The color quickly starts to change into an ugly light orange and I know it's bad.

"Jarvis!"

I suddenly remember what day it is. _Wow. _What a great birthday present.

I silently walk down the hallway of the top floor of Stark Tower, looking for Thor. I'm worried about him. This morning- well, I'd heard about it from Pepper and from what I'd heard, my god of thunder should be pretty upset. I turn into another messy room, see the bow and arrows on the bed, and decide it's Clint's. Ugh. Why are men so...so messy? I sigh and keep walking down the hallway. I find Thor in the next bedroom over, sitting on his bed and staring at his hammer. I go over to him and sit next to him, putting my arm around his shoulders. Of course, it doesn't reach so I have to settle for patting the center of his back like a mother.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask gently. His head nods once and then he turns to face me. What I see written in his eyes stuns me. Thor, the god of thunder, is crying. Abandoning my previous caution I throw my arms around him. He puts a huge hand on my back and squeezes me tight.

"Oh, Thor," I get out. "What's gone so wrong?" It must have been worse than Pepper said, for Thor to cry.

"Loki...he has received all his old memories." His voice is strained and nearly cracks. It makes me want to cry.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," I say, trying to comfort him. He shakes his head.

"He was extremely upset, Jane," Thor replies. "He ran from us."

"Oh, Thor, he was scared of you. Put yourself in his position. You would be terrified that you would slip into your old ways and hurt everyone close to you again. Add that to the frankly alarming description Pepper gave me of the monster you saw and that was surely why he ran."

"He thought himself the monster."

"He had every reason to. What he needs is for you to be there, to tell him you still believe in him and love him. He needs you."

Thor considers this for a moment. "What if the others do not concur? What if they believe he has not changed?"

I bite my lip. "Then you'll have to be there for him."

Thor nods and scrubs his hand across his eyes. "I shall be with him to the death and beyond if necessary."

The brotherly love in his eyes and tone nearly breaks my heart.

"I just hope he is aware of that."

I put my head on his shoulder. "I'm sure he will, Thor. I'm sure he will."

After the afternoon's pretty disastrous flight test, I walk back up to my room to get some rest. As I flip my laptop open I realize I'd left my flash drive down in the training room. The one with all of our training scenarios on it. Bit Not Good. I quickly close my computer and hurry downstairs in the elevator. I reach the training room and slowly open the doors, getting the feeling that I am disturbing something. But all the adults are upstairs, Verusha's in her room, and Loki- who knows where he is. It's probably just an aftereffect from this morning. I swing the doors wide and make my way around the viewing area and climb the stairs to the control room. I find the offending flash drive, scowl at it, and place it in my pocket. As I descend the stairs, though, I hear a soft noise- almost as if someone's crying. Cautiously, I peer around the doorway of the stairs and look out onto the training floor. A blue form is kneeling on the floor, head in hands, sobbing. There's only one blue person I know. He must have come back down here, not knowing where to run.

I walk to the door that leads out to the combat floor silently. The door, however, is not obliging. It creaks loudly as I open it. Loki whips his head around. His eyes are still red. I steel myself and walk over to the boy.

"I told you to stay away," he says, sounding completely miserable. "I'm the monster mothers tell their children about. You don't want to be anywhere near me."

I advance across the floor, half-afraid that he'll turn and run away again. "You're dumber than I thought if you believe that I'd ever leave you alone," I say gently but firmly. "Remember when we told each other our greatest fears?"

He nods.

"Remember when you said we can not be alone together?"

His head drops into his hands again. "That was before-"

"Shh. I don't wanna hear it. I'll stand by you, now and always."

He looks up at me, eyes wide in amazement. "You..." he trails off, not able to put his feelings into words. I simply reach my hand out to him. He reaches up to me slowly as if in a dream. Our hands meet, and slowly, ever so slowly, his skin begins to fade into its normal color. We both stare at his changing skin in astonishment. I look up to meet his eyes just as they turn back into the brilliant green I have come to know and love. I gently pull him to his feet.

"Come with me," I say. "I've got something to show you."

I sigh for what seems like the millionth time in an hour. Why would he just run? He knows that we love him. Why did he run? We could have helped him. Poor Loki. I need to find him. I just wish I knew where he is. A steaming cup of coffee is set in front of me on the table and a comforting hand is placed on my shoulder. I look up to see Pepper standing there.

"You want to talk about it?" she asks. I nod and she takes the seat next to me. She looks at me, waiting for me to start.

"Why would he run?" I ask. It's the question that has haunted me for the past hour or so.

"He was scared, Steve. What did you really expect him to do?" she responds.

"I don't know. I was hoping he would stay," I say, looking down at the ground.

"Steve, did you really expect him to stay when he got his memories back? I mean, he realizes what he did, and I think he's afraid it might happen again."

"It won't! I raised him better! He knows that we will never turn on him," I say.

"Does he?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean does he know that the team won't turn on him?"

"Of course he does."

"Steve, after all the things he did in the past. Do you really expect him to believe that Clint won't turn on him? Or Natasha? What about Tony? Banner? Maybe you won't but will the others?"

She has a point. I mean the old Loki did turn Clint against us all. Poor Loki. He's probably so scared right now and he doesn't have anyone to tell him that it's all going to be okay. What am I going to do?

"Loki is going to come back, Steve."

"How do you know?" I ask looking into her bright eyes.

"Because he knows you love him, and he wouldn't leave without trying to make things right, don't you think?" I nod.

"I should be looking for him, Pepper. I need to find him. I need to tell him that it's okay. That... That the past doesn't matter."

"Just give him some time. He needs to work through some things. Give him the space he needs, but also let him know that you are there. That's what he really needs right now."

I nod again. Pepper is right. Loki does need some time alone, but he also needs to know that I'm here for him. Even if the others aren't.

As Alex pulls me out of the training room, my brain is in a whirl. What just happened back there? She was able to change my skin back to normal. That is perhaps the most confusing thing of all. From what I've gathered from my old memories, I should have been in complete control of my form, and no one- least of all a human- should have been able to make me change. But that seems insignificant to the wealth of horrible memories that have all come back to me in the last seven hours.

Apparently I'd had another childhood, on Asgard, and Thor was my brother. Who was always better than me. And...then I'd learned I was really adopted, which explained why Odin always loved Thor best, and the hurt festered inside me until I finally acted on it and tried to destroy Jotunheim. Then...I dimly remember letting go of Thor's hand and falling into the broken Bifrost and landing on the surface of a realm that I'd never been to. There I met Thanos, The Destroyer. Well, I say met. I never really talked to him or even saw his face, just his messenger, but all the same he informed me that he could endow me with new powers such that I could conquer Midgard and finally step out from my brother's shadow. He gave me the simple task of obtaining the Tesseract for him on my way of conquering, and I'd thought it easy enough. Well, until I met the Avengers. My...parents now, and uncles, and the parents of my new sister and of Alex. They stopped me and saved Midgard- Earth. I'd done terrible things before that, though. Unspeakable things. I'd even used my spear to control Ace's father. I really doubt she'll just forget that and waltz off without giving it a second thought. No, I'm still going to have to make things right with her. Because I do- I do want to fix everything I've done. I just...don't think anyone will believe me given my history. I have no idea how to go about convincing them of that, so I just let Alex lead me along.

We've come out of the Tower by now, and are walking in a small park in central New York. It is late, and the city's lights make the green park sparkle with a diamond-like glow as we walk along a set path in silence.

I don't know what it is about tonight, but just being here with her and knowing she- at least- will never leave me, makes my heart skip a beat. I steal a quick glance over at her only to find her looking back at me.

"What?" I ask.

She looks away quickly, but says nothing.

"Alex..."

"This way," she says pointing into a thick pack of trees. I look at the way she is pointing then back to her in disbelief. What does she see that I don't? "Trust me." She holds out her hand and gives me a real smile, not one of her smirks or teasing laughs. I decide to trust her, and take her hand. We disappear into the trees.

She holds my hand tight as we push our way through until we come to a clearing. There is a central tree with pink blooms, but that is it. The tree is surrounded by grass, but there are no other trees anywhere around this one. The lights from the city have faded away to a dim glow, lending the small clearing more magic than is in Odin's treasury.

"What is this place?" I ask. She walks until she's under the canopy of the great tree.

"My dad used to bring me out here when I was little. He said it was a magical place, and when everyone else in the world is against you, you will always have this place," she smiles.

Looking around this place, it seems like she's right. The world doesn't seem to care about it, simply passing it up and never pausing to look inside. It's just me and her.

I don't know what to say at this point so I just walk over and take her in my arms. Her arms snake around my waist as her head comes to rests on my chest. The world falls away as we stand there in each other's arms. She looks up at me at that moment. I don't know what comes over me then, but it is powerful. It's foreign to me. I've never felt anything so...so..._happy._ It feels almost like I'm a little kid again, wrapped in the all-encompassing embrace of my mother, or racing Thor (back when he was my brother) up to the gates of the palace and not being hurt when he won. Then I get it. It's love. Pure, untarnished, love. Oh, how I miss it.

All rational thought abandons me. I've done so many uncharacteristic things today I don't think adding another one to the list will hurt. So I lean down, touching my lips to hers. She's stunned, but only momentarily. She kisses back gently. I smile under the kiss, pleased. Pulling her tighter against me, I deepen the kiss. Her sweet lips oblige. When she starts to sway in my arms, I place a hand on the small of her back, supporting her. Her arms move from my waist to around my neck, pulling me closer. Afraid of going too far, I pull away a moment later. My hand goes down to hold hers, but my right hand brushes a rough patch on her wrist and she winces in pain. Concerned, I take her wrist in my hand, careful to avoid the rough patch, and bring it up to the light. A large burn rests squarely on it. I look up into her eyes.

"Alex, what happened?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing," she replies. She's lying.

"Alex, please. Tell me what happened? Did someone hurt you? Did the fake Fury do anything else to you?"

"No! It's nothing like that," she says trying to reassure me. It's not working.

"Alex-"

"Loki, really. It's nothing," she repeats. I decide not to pry any further. I just nod.

That same smile comes back to rest on her pink lips. I smile back, glad she's happy.

"Our secret?" I ask, still afraid of her father trying to kill me. And the whole team, for that matter, but that doesn't seem important right now.

She kisses my lips lightly.

"Our secret."

The elaborate golden throne holds a very, very old man. His royal clothes and pure gold eyepatch speak of his kingly position, but the lines around his eyes and mouth speak of a worried father. He can feel the pulse from Midgard as the charm he had so carefully placed on Loki's mind is broken, and brings his head down in silent remorse at what his youngest son must be going through right now. But one good thing has come of all this. He now knows who he faces.

There is a name no one speaks, whispers of a power greater than the All-Father's. And those whispers do indeed have a name. Thanos. The Destroyer. The ruler of Asgard had never thought of these whispers as having any real substance, simply old wives' tales, but the events of the past month have proven him wrong. He calls for his servant, dispatching a message to the commander-in-chief of the Asgardian forces. The man comes within the hour.

"Yes, my liege?"

The All-Father stands up, leaning heavily on his staff.

"Ready the armies. I fear we shall be needed on Midgard."


	15. What Gives?

What Gives?

I sit cross-legged on my bed, trying to wrap my brain around everything that's just happened. After Loki made his dramatic exit the adults gathered to talk about it all and to plan our next move. It took them hours. Alex was nowhere to be seen either, so I was left alone to take care of myself. After about a half hour I was ready to beat my own brains out from boredom. The only things I had at hand were my bow and arrows, and I figured Tony Stark was enough of a billionaire to replace a little old wall, so I decorated the wall of my bedroom with my whole quiver. Then, since they hadn't come back yet, I plucked every single arrow out and had just fit the first one back on my bowstring when my door opened. I turned around guiltily and found pape standing there. He didn't comment on the ruined wall, but sat me down on the bed and started to talk to me.

"I guess you want to know what happened to Loki this morning, huh?"

"Well...yeah."

He took a deep breath and began to tell me the whole story. So the guy who I had grown close to during the past few weeks was really an ex-supercriminal who had tried to destroy a whole planet/race of beings simply to gain the favor of his father? And then he'd tried to take over Earth with an alien army and a spear? And speaking of the spear, he had taken _my dad_ captive and made him into his servant, until mama had come and 'recalibrated his cranium' (hit him really hard on the head). He'd made my pape kill people. Well, that just turned my world upside down. Pape had left after he told me everything, letting me have some time alone to digest this new and pretty alarming development.

So here I am now, sitting, thinking, and trying to reconcile the boy who'd lost to me three times in a row at poker and who'd always had my back with the god of mischief and magic who'd threatened to destroy Earth as we know it. It's hard. I'm honestly trying to understand it all but eventually my brain just shuts down and a cold rage sets in. It isn't really directed at Loki or whoever had given him back his memories or whoever had taken them in the first place, just anger at the complete pointlessness of it _all. _Something in my head snaps under the pressure of the events of today and I let it out with a howl of rage, grabbing my bow and arrows again. Tony Stark's wall takes another pounding, and I empty my quiver into it three times over before just leaving the arrows in the wall and sobbing in frustration.

After about ten minutes of tears, I figure out what my previous rage was directed at. Not Loki, I'd already forgiven him, nor Odin- he was just trying to protect his son- and not even whatever monster gave Loki back all his memories- he ought to know about his past if he is going to move on and truly become good- but at the sheer fact that he still blames himself for all the crimes he committed as the old Loki. Really, he has changed. If he was really as bad as all that pape told me, his new self is just as good if not more so. He shouldn't dwell in the past, just close the door on that chapter of his life and keep writing the new one he's on right now. It hurts me to see him believing himself to be a monster, incapable of doing anything good. Because he is capable of doing good. He's shown himself to be more than capable.

By now, it's dark outside, and Loki still hasn't come back. I'm a little worried about him and where he is right now, but my rage and tears have exhausted me. So I just lean my head back against my bed and sleep overtakes me.

I wake up to a hand gently shaking my shoulder. When I open my eyes I see Loki's green eyes staring at me, written with the most confusing mix of emotions I have ever seen. As I clear the sleep from my eyes, I can see fear and sadness come out on top of all the other warring emotions. Those are not the emotions that should decorate my brother's eyes. I stand up and put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"What gives? I've already forgiven you."

Now disbelief is clearly stated in his face. "But..." he begins. I cut him off.

"I know the whole story. Dad told me everything." His face falls and his voice becomes dejected.

"Then you know I'm really Loki Laufeyson, that I tried to destroy a whole race of jotuns, that I tried to take over your planet _and_-" his voice breaks. "-that I made your dad into a killer."

I narrow my eyes at him. "I don't _care_ what you did before your memory was wiped and you had a second chance at childhood, all that matters is that you've shown me a whole new side of life- having a brother that I can always count on."

I can tell he wants to believe me, but something holds him back. "That doesn't excuse what I did."

"No, it does not. Nothing really can." He looks like I've just slapped him in the face. I continue, getting the speech over as if I'm ripping off a band-aid. "So _stop_ beating yourself up about the past. You can't fix it. All you can do is forget Loki Laufeyson and move on with Loki Odinson's life."

He turns his face away from mine. "I can't. Everything I do comes out to hurt the people I love. You should just stay away from me."

I grab his chin and bring his face back up to mine, pinning him with an icy glare. "You take that back _right now._ You do _not_ hurt the people you care about. All right, so Loki Laufeyson did. So what? You are _not_ him. You are Loki Odinson. You are quite possibly the nicest and most caring boy I've ever met. You are one of the fiercest fighters I have had the privilege to go into battle with. You are a thousand times better than Loki Laufeyson could ever _hope_ to be. And you always have my back- you're my brother now. So take my advice, Loki _Odinson._ Forget who you were. None of that matters anymore. Live your new life and prove to the rest of the team what I already know- that you are capable of being good. _Really_ good."

Ghosts slide out of his green eyes, and I am prepared to swear they turned a brighter hue of emerald right then. A single tear of pure relief makes its way out of the corner of his eye, and I can feel a similar one forming in mine. _It is good to have my brother back._ I punch him lightly on the shoulder.

"Stop that, you're about to make me cry again."

He laughs a little and blinks hard, clearing his eyes.

"Thank you."

I smile. "Dobro pozhalovatʹ - you're welcome, Loki."

The room is decorated in true Asgardian splendor, with a high arched roof and gold filigree everywhere. A large bonfire burns in the central pit, illuminating the four reclining figures lying around it boasting of their latest exploits. Volstagg holds a heaping plate of roast meat, making him an easy target for Hogun to steal from.

"Hey!" he cries indignantly. "I need my sustenance!" Hogun grins.

"What, to keep up your figure? You have no need of this one leg of meat for that."

"Neither do you," interjects Fandral, walking past Hogun and lifting the leg from his swordpoint.

"You boys and your obsession with food!" Lady Sif rolls her eyes in an exaggerated expression of annoyance. "Besides, I am the one most deserving of that morsel." She punctuates her words by leaping up and taking the leg from Fandral. In the middle of the ensuing argument, not one of them notices the pounding on the door nor when it is pushed open by one of Odin's messengers.

"The All-Father has summoned you," he intones. Immediately the fighting stops and the leg of meat rolls to the floor, forgotten.

They walk into the throne room, kneeling and striking their right arms to their chests as a symbol of respect.

"Rise." The command is given in a voice that sounds very, very old. They stand, presenting themselves to their king.

"A new threat falls on Midgard," begins Odin the All-Father. "I also bear news of Loki."

A murmur goes through the small company. _Loki? Loki the traitor? Loki, who used to be our friend? Loki who was exiled to Midgard and stripped of all recollections of his past?_

"He has...regained his memories."

The sharp intake of breath rings throughout the great hall.

"Why did you entrust him with his memories?" Fandral questions respectfully.

"I did not."

The three small words echo like a gunshot. Lady Sif is the one who finally breaks the silence.

"If you did not, then who did, All-Father?"

Odin leans on his staff, the new trouble visibly weighing him down. "Thanos. The Destroyer."

"But, my king, that is a myth! He is not real!" Volstagg's deep voice cries out in shock.

"I am afraid it is not," replies the All-Father. "He is very real and very powerful. I fear for Midgard."

"All-Father, what should we do?" The worry in Fandral's voice speaks for all of the Warriors Three and Lady Sif.

"We shall prepare for the worst and hope for the best." Odin's good eye seems worlds away, struggling to pierce the veil that shrouds his enemy from him.

The four Asgardians bow their heads and walk out of the throne room, faces grim.

I sit on the couch , Alex on my right and Ace on my left. It amazes me how short of a time it took these two to forgive all my past misdeeds. I am truly thankful to have them as friends. After the events of today, I want nothing more than to sleep and hope that my troubles all go away with the morning sun, but Ace and Alex convince me otherwise.

"Come on, Loki. The rest of the team does _not_ hate you," Alex says in a low tone. I know its meant to be comforting but somehow I can't bring myself to believe her. How can they not hate me? After all I did? I can name many instances where I'd insulted, physically injured, or mentally hurt every single member of the team. It's not like they'd just let that go.

"Loki. You _need_ to go see them. They've been worried sick about you!" I don't know if Alex is making that up or not but it twists my heart. I want to believe her so badly. But- I just can't. They would never forgive me that fast.

Eventually it's Ace who tips the balance. It's kind of scary how each girl takes after her mother- they alternate between Alex comforting me and reassuring me that the team is indeed worried about my well-being, and Ace telling me straight out that I'm just running away from the situation and that will not help anyone. I guess her words are a little harsh, but I need the push.

"You know, every minute you waste down here with us is another minute they're wasting thinking you turned bad again and flew off to Asgard or wherever."

The glare Alex shoots at her matches the pain that ties my stomach into a knot.

"You're right," I manage. "I've gotta at least tell them I'm not gonna betray them or anything."

I walk on unsteady legs to the door, my (only?) two friends standing faithfully by my side. I notice that Ace quietly grabs her bow and her quiver before we leave. She shoves the door open, and we walk to the elevator. I take a breath and allow myself to be led into what feels like a death trap. On the way up, Alex's hand finds its way into mine and squeezes reassuringly. I manage a small smile at her through my increasing fear.

The elevator door opens to reveal Uncle Steve and Thor sitting across from each other in the living room, sipping steaming mugs of coffee. Both look up and when they see me, they jump to their feet. I guess I must have recoiled like they were about to attack me because immediately Ace is by my side, a firm grip on my shoulder and a steely look in her eyes. She practically marches me forward and steps in front of me, all of her five feet two inches bristling against Uncle Steve's six feet five inches and Thor's six feet eight inches. My heart swells.

"Now you listen, Mr. Captain and Mr. Hammer," she begins sternly. "If either of you do not sit here and listen to absolutely everything Loki has to say, I swear I will put three arrows through your eye socket before you can move an inch." Her hand moves toward her bow for emphasis. Thor looks at Uncle Steve and raises his hands.

"Believe me, my lady, we had no intention of doing Loki harm. We simply wished to tell him all is forgiven and that he did not have to run from us."

I can't believe my ears. They're just- forgiving me? Like that? Everything I did?

I take a step forward, gently pushing Ace aside. "I-" I begin, but I'm cut off by Thor grabbing me in a bear hug. As the breath is slowly squeezed out of me I can feel his ribs moving in silent tears.

"Brother," he says, and I can hear the sincerity in his words. "It is good to have you back." I return the embrace with all my might.

"It's good to be back," I say. "Can you really forgive me for-"

"Of course, Loki. Those were the actions of another man. You have grown and changed, proven yourself to be a good man through and through." Over Thor's giant shoulder, I can see Ace mouth the words _Loki Odinson_ to me. I smile. Uncle Steve puts a hand on my back.

"That goes for me, too," he says. "Do you mind if I get the rest of the team down here?"

I nod as Thor sets me down. "Yeah. I need to apologize to all of them."

Uncle Steve disappears upstairs and I turn to Alex. Her genuine smile says _See? Nothing to worry about._ I return the smile, nervously clenching my hands as I hear the footsteps.

The team, Pepper, and Jane all stand there staring at me with mixed emotions. I can read them all, from the motherly concern decorating Jane and Peppers' faces to the mistrust I see in Natasha and Tony's eyes. I take a deep breath and begin my apology.

"Um, what can I say? I know how horrible I've been to all of you guys in the past and I know how I threatened your home and tried to take it over...but..." I trail off, not sure of what to say. My voice won't cooperate and my next words come out in a choked whisper. "All I can offer is...I'm sorry. I've changed, please believe me."

Everyone's gaze remains fixed on me, and I can tell that some of them- Jane, Pepper, and Bruce- have already made up their minds that I'm to be trusted. But the others still see Loki Laufeyson. I bow my head. What else can I say? To my surprise, it's Thor who speaks up. Thor, my brother who I'd once hated with a fiery passion, tried to kill, and the one who I'd most wronged.

"Loki speaks the truth. I have seen him grow up and I know his heart has changed. If you do not trust his word, take mine. He is no longer the man who attempted to destroy Midgard and Jotunheim."

Uncle Steve steps forward. "I second that."

At the same moment, Ace and Alex both come beside Thor and Uncle Steve. "Third it," Ace says, looking hard at her parents. "Fourth," Alex says, staring at Mr. Stark. He looks at her for a few agonizing seconds. Then he comes forward.

"Alright, Reindeer Games," he says. "I'm not so sure if I believe you myself, but you've convinced my wife and my daughter. So as of now we can forget the past." He holds out his hand and I shake it, not quite trusting my eyes and ears.

Clint is the next one to step towards me. He turns to his wife. "I made another call about Loki," he says softly. "I'm prepared to stand by it." She nods and comes forward, looking me in the eyes.

"As am I. I saw the way you and Verusha fought together. If she trusts you with her life, so do I."

I can feel my eyes start to well up, but I blink back the tears. Being forgiven and trusted again is perhaps the greatest thing in the nine realms.

I ride the elevator up to the top floor, where my dad has called me. I wonder what he is up to- probably going to tell me all of Loki's history and try to get me to stay away from him. I would figure after last night he would put the past aside as he said, but he's my father.I'm steeling myself for an argument when I step out. However, another scene greets my eyes. Uncle Banner, Uncle Roadie, Dad, and Mom are all standing around the central coffee table. The table is covered in brightly wrapped boxes- birthday gifts!

"What's going on?" I ask, looking them over. Their smiles scare me.

"Well, Alex, I know it's a day late, but I just wanted to make it up to you," Daddy says.

"Make what up to me?" I ask. I want him to say it.

"Make up not mentioning and totally forgetting about your birthday? I kinda feel like a horrible dad..."

"No! You're not! There was a lot going on. I don't blame you." I wanted to tell him that I had a perfect birthday yesterday, but I don't think he would like my idea of a great birthday. And besides, I promised Loki that our kiss, and newfound relationship, would be our secret. So I just keep quiet about yesterday.

"Any way," Uncle Roadie says. "We wanted to celebrate nonetheless."

"Aww. Thanks," I say, the heat rising to my cheeks. I love my family.

I look around at the gifts. I can't decide what to open first. They all look so beautiful. Uncle Roadie takes a box and hands it to me.

"It's from me. I want to know what you think. I saw it and thought of you," he says. I rip the paper off revealing a plain white clothing box. What could it be? I take the lid off. A shiny piece of fabric lays there. I take it out of the box. It's a short, tight looking, one shouldered black dress. Its covered completely in glitter that when the light hits it shines every color of the rainbow. My smile cannot be hidden. I hug him tightly.

"I LOVE IT!" I squeal.

"I thought so," he smiles.

"Where is she going to wear it?" Uncle Banner asks.

"To her party," Mom responds.

"Party?" I ask, looking at them.

Dad holds out a pair of keys.

"I had the Malibu house prepared for the weekend. I thought you might want to get away and celebrate your 18 with those three friends of yours. Mindy, Cindy, and Lindy," Dad says.

"Really?" I ask.

"Really," Mom says. I can't say anything, but I think my screaming says it all. I hug them both.

"You are the best parents ever!" Dad smiles, knowing its true. "Wait!" I say as something occurs to me. "I need shoes..."

"Stop mentally going through your closet. Here," Mom says, handing me a large square box. She knows me so well. I open it, knowing it's what I need. The perfect pair of heels sit there smiling up at me. They are a pair of black t-strap, peep toe, four inch heels.

"Perfect!" She smiles. Now all I need is jewlery. I turn to Uncle Banner. He hands me a set of four black suede boxes. I take them happily.

The first box, the largest, holds a simple diamond necklace. It holds a total of eleven diamonds the largest bringing it into a subtle "V" formation. Absolutely beautiful! The next box holds a skinny diamond bracelet on a thin silver string band. Gorgeous!. The next box holds a pair of amazing chandelier earrings. Stunning! The smallest box contains a ring. Its placement is simple but the large emerald standing in the middle of a circle of smaller diamonds shines with a brilliance all its own. The emerald reminds me of someone, but I can't place it. Confused, I try to place the memory, and then it comes to me. _Of course._ I can't help but smile as I relive the memory of last night at the park, looking up into Loki's clear green eyes. Uncle Banner would probably shoot himself if he knew exactly what giving me an emerald would remind me of. I hug my family one last time.

"Thank you guys! I love them. They're perfect," I smile. I want to cry, but I keep the tears in.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Dad says.

"Go try on the dress," Uncle Roadie says. I smile and rush to my room.

The dress slides over my curves perfectly, revealing all the right things. It fits my body like a second skin. It is perfect.

I walk back out in the dress and shoes. Mom, Uncle Roadie, and Uncle Banner all smile back. Mom has to wipe away a tear as I walk in front of them. Dad's jaw hits the floor.

"You look beautiful," Mom says.

"You are never leaving the house in that," Dad says firmly.

"Tony, I bought it for her and she is going to wear it. So just shut it," Uncle Roadie replies. I smile, thanking him. I look down at the ring sitting perfectly on my ring finger.

"Can I invite a couple of other friends?" I ask.

"Uh, sure," Mom says. "Can I ask who."

"Loki and Ace," I reply. Before Dad can say anything- I know he still doesn't trust Loki completely- Uncle Banner answers.

"Of course you can." Thank you, Uncle Banner!

I thank them all one last time before running, or whatever equals running in heels, up to Loki and Ace's room. I throw open the closed door and what I see garners an epic facepalm from me.

Loki is holding Ace's silver bow in uncertain hands, an arrow fitted on the string. It seems all of her arrows are either stuck in the wall or the ceiling.

"Good. Now, relax your shoulder- I said RELAX!" Poor Loki is white as a sheet as she practically punches him in the shoulder.

"Uh, guys?" I ask. Ace waves a hand in my direction.

"Wait. He's almost got it. Now- breathe in, breathe out, release!" The arrow flies across the room, hitting the wall with a dull thud.

"Well, at least you didn't miss," Ace says, stretching out on Loki's bed like a cat and closing her eyes. "Now what was it you wanted?"

"Besides the archery lessons stopping?"

"Yes, besides that."

Loki finally manages to pull off the archer's glove on his left hand and turns around. When he sees me in my new dress and heels and everything, the bow he holds drops to the floor with a clatter. Ace punches him in the hip.

"Watch whose bow you're tossing around!"

He picks it up and throws it to her absently, keeping his eyes on me.

"You like?" I ask doing a little spin. The words seem unable to form in his mouth so he just nods. I let out a small giggle.

"Yeah, that's right, you two." Ace's voice is teasing, laced with a little sarcasm. "Go off and eat your Oreos backwards together."

I look at Loki, mouth wide open. He just shrugs his shoulders.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted to get out," I ask.

"Get out? Get out of where?" I sigh. I guess they don't teach them slang in the KGB For Kids class.

"Get out of Stark Tower, New York. Just leave. Let's go have some fun and celebrate!"

"And just what are we celebrating?"

"My birthday!"

"Well why didn't you say so before?" Ace jumps up with enthusiasm that I'm not sure is completely faked. "Lead the way, O captain my captain!"

"Very funny. Anyway, Dad rented out the Malibu house for the weekend. A couple of my girlfriends are meeting me there and Dad said I could bring you." I turn to Loki. "Please? It'll be fun."

Ace leaps from Loki's bed to hers and pulls on her jacket. She comes over to me with a smile that's actually genuine and says Happy Birthday.

"Shut up, Loki." She sounds exactly like a little sister complaining to her older brother.

"I wasn't saying anything!"

"You were thinking. It's annoying. Now let's go."

"Wait! You aren't going to wear that, are you?" I ask the two. Ace looks down at herself.

"Is there...a problem?" She sounds genuinely confused. I roll my eyes. I motion to my own outfit.

"It's a party," I say.

"So I've been informed."

"Just dress nicely. Like you would for a five star restaurant," I explain patiently, looking over at Loki. This is going to be interesting.

A half hour of torture later, I've only gotten Ace to change her jeans and wear one of my old T-shirts. It's a scoop neck in a deep ocean blue color that brings out her eyes perfectly. I look at her, pleased with my work.

"Won't you wear a skirt?" I ask. The look in her eyes lets me know that even my iron will has met its match. I'd have a better chance of getting Loki to wear a skirt. Sighing, I look over at Loki, informing him that it's his turn now.

"I've got it," he says. I raise an eyebrow in disbelief. He winks irritatingly at me. "And its a birthday surprise. I'll show you when we leave."

To my left, Ace makes gagging motions with her hand, so I settle for dragging her down to my room to pack instead.

Once I'm satisfied that I've packed everything I could possibly need for our two-day stay, Ace and I go down and wait for Daddy to come down and tell us when the plane lands. It's about time to leave and there is still no sign of Loki. I'm getting worried, but I decide to give him a few more minutes. Dad walks out of the Tower right then and comes over to us. He hands over the keys to the house.

"Mindy, Cindy, and Lindy are going to meet you when they land. They are going to fly in and the limo will pick you all up," he says.

"Dad, don't worry. We'll be fine," I smile. He gives me a look telling me he doesn't believe it.

"The plane is waiting on the strip. Your security personnel will meet you halfway," he says.

"I got it, Dad. Don't worry. We'll be home Monday morning." He groans before walking back in.

"Of course rich girl has her own private plane," Ace says. "And who are Mindy, Cindy, and Lindy?"

"More rich girls. We went to school together." Her face is just a little horrified. I laugh but am cut off by the front door of Stark Tower opening. I turn around and my mouth falls open. Loki strolls out, dressed in a muted emerald shirt and black pants that match my ring and dress perfectly. The shirt brings out his eye color just as well as Ace's does. It's slightly open at the collar, and the sleeves are rolled up showing his strong arms. Nothing else about him has really changed- his hair is still a bit messy and his grin a little lopsided, but the small touches just give him the personality I love. Ace shoves me with her arm.

"You keep staring at him like that and you'll get flies in your mouth," she hisses. I close my lips and grin. This is going to be the best birthday party ever.

"What's the plan?" he asks walking up to us. He smiles at me and I can feel my face go red.

"We drive to an airstrip, meeting our security halfway. We get on the private plane of Miss Rich Girl over here, and fly to Malibu where we meet up with Mindy, Cindy, and Lindy, friends of Miss Rich Girl, and then the limo picks us up, taking us to the house. Did I miss anything?" Ace asks looking over at me. I shake my head, not taking my eyes from Loki.

We get out of the Ferrari thirty minutes later, looking for all the world like two billionaires and their Russian security guard. A black car drives up next to mine, one that has been following for the past few miles, and three guys in black suits and matching glasses walk out. They look like, and knowing my dad they are, ex-Navy Seals. They nod in my direction. Our security team. I smile and nod back. _Oh, Dad_. The three of us walk up the stairs leading to the cabin of the family plane, but just as we're about to get into the plane, a motorcycle drives up with two guys on it.

"Loki! Wait! I have not said my farewells yet!" Thor's voice rings out over the tarmac. Loki freezes and turns around with an apologetic smile. He walks back down the stairs and stands in front of Thor.

"Brother," begins Thor, and claps Loki on the back. "I wish thee well in Mali-bu. As you are now the age of a man on Asgard, I have but three instructions for you. Drink, fight, and make your ancestors proud."

Steve hops off the motorcycle and comes over. "Ignore that," he says, rolling his eyes. "Be responsible and please please PLEASE do not end up on the news."

Loki laughs. "Of course not." Steve and Thor smile.

"Go on now, brother. Go and bring back many tales of your adventures."

Loki comes up into the plane, waving good-bye to his brother and his uncle. Within the next half hour, the plane leaves the strip, heading to Malibu. I can't wait!


	16. Last Friday Night

**Authors' Note: **Well, hello again. We are _so_ sorry about the whole no-chapter thing yesterday, but we just couldn't get the Odin scene and the team scene to cooperate. So here's another chapter about what happens as Alex prepares to celebrate her 18th birthday with a certain...Asgardian flair. Remember: Drink, fight, and make your ancestors proud!

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**Last Friday Night**

The short flight to Malibu only solidifies in my head my gratitude at not being born a female. Poor Ace is cornered by an indignant Alex, who keeps repeating that she's not going to her party looking like that. Ace shoots an SOS glance at me but I smile and shrug my shoulders, mouthing _it's her birthday_. Her replying glare lets me know I am dead when she gets the chance to slip poison in my drink.

Alex drags her to the back of the plane and the large bathroom, and I settle myself in with a magazine. It's an hour before they emerge, and when they do I see my teammate in a new light. Alex has done her work well. She wears the same shirt, jeans, and jacket, but her eyes are boldly outlined in striking black eyeliner and the rest of her face is highlighted by other sorts of makeup I can't name, making it almost impossible to break her icy gaze. I nod in approval and Alex sits her down across from me, leaving to go 'do her hair.'

"Your Highness is looking good," I remark cheekily. Ace looks like she's about to jump me but quickly regains her composure and coolly replies,

"Why thank you, my humble servant. I don't suppose you want to play cards again?"

I shake my head. She grins. "Right. Don't wanna get your butt whipped again."

"No, I'm just not sure if I could hold a poker face with you looking like that."

I'm prepared to fight for my life, but then a door slams somewhere in the back of the plane and heels click, walking up the aisle to us. Ace sits back in her chair, glaring daggers at me. I smile insolently before Alex comes. It's great having the last word.

I look up at Alex. Her hair is pulled back into, I think Jane called it, a half ponytail. There is a small silver clip holding it up. Her hair now has an elegant wave to it. She looks amazing. Her makeup is more complex than Ace's, with the black eyeliner sweeping out from her eyelids to form a little tail. I think I've heard it called cat's eye? Whatever it is, it looks stunning. The rest of her eyelids are covered in a silvery glow, and her lips shine a soft pink, complimenting the emerald in her ring. I don't even try to hide my stare. Ace kicks me a little harder than is necessary in the shin, and I stifle a yelp. She grins sweetly.

Alex doesn't bother to comment, but takes the seat next to me and shares my armrest. I smile back at Ace and compliment Alex's hair. She practically glows. This is going to be an enjoyable flight.

A man dressed in an impeccable uniform walks up the aisle. He stops by Alex, leans down, and whispers something in her ear. When she nods, he leaves the way he came. I glance over at her and raise an eyebrow.

"We're landing in a few," she explains. "You'd better get your seat belts on."

We all buckle up. Once again, I am reminded of the difference between my two new friends. Alex sits professionally, looking comfortable and relaxed in the luxury jet, while Ace sits like a soldier, looking for all the world like she's about to go into battle. I suppress a laugh and secure my own belt, looking out the window to try and catch a glimpse of Malibu.

Once we land, the security guys walk out from where ever they were and out the plane. They call out to us when its all clear. Okay... Alex is the first out the plane. As she descends the stairs I hear loud whistling from not far off. I follow close behind her, Ace behind me. When we are on the ground, I see the other three girls standing to the left of the landing area.

They are all smiles as Alex walks over and hugs them. The tallest girl, about five foot eight inches, winks at me. Her brown eyes are surrounded by layer upon layer of makeup. Her hair is pulled back into a lose ponytail, showing off the back, or what little there is, of her short red dress. The dress is even shorter than Alex's, if that is possible, with a thick black strap around the waist. She isn't pretty, but I guess her money can get her anywhere. The girl next to her is the shortest of the group, but still taller than Alex and Ace. She stands about five foot six inches, and is wearing a knee length dress that is multiple colors of blue. It's darker at the top then lightens as you move down. She lets her short blond hair hang down in her face. Her green eyes are similar to mine, but are also surrounded by layers of makeup. The last girl is wearing a dark purple dress that is fitted in the top and puffs out at the skirt. She is wearing black lace gloves. Her bright red hair is pulled back into a bun with her bangs hanging in her dark blue eyes, which have little to no makeup around them. All the girls wear heels, and are in their own way pretty, but none of them compare to my Alex. They all turn to me with wild evil grins.

"Mmm... Where did you find this one, Alex?" The taller one says, licking her lips. I try not to recoil in horror, but is it really my fault that she reminds me of a bilgesnipe?

"Is he taken?" the blond says.

"What does it matter? That's never stopped us before," The redhead says. I'm beginning to feel a little nauseous, and as I glance over at Ace for help she grins and mouths, _it's her birthday._ I glare back at her.

"Alex, you won't mind if we take your friend here for a good time, would you?" the tall one asks, winking at her. "You can leave your security guard," she adds, gesturing at Ace.

Alex gives a fake grin and replies in a voice dripping sarcasm, "Why of _course,_ Mindy. Not like he's taken by the _birthday girl_ or anything. Or like my security guard is actually a friend of mine or anything of the _sort._"

"Oh, come on, Alex. One night won't hurt him," the redhead says. She walks over to me and hooks her arm in mine. I honestly try not to shy away from her touch.

"Yeah, I mean, you can't keep him all to yourself now. He is way too cute for just one girl," the blond says.

"Lindy, if you put one more hand on him, I'll bring up the lawsuit from last spring break," Alex replies. The redhead, Lindy I guess, removes her arm and takes a step away from me. I breathe a little easier.

"Come on, Alex. Please. Just one night each. It'll be fun. Besides he needs the experience," the blond replies.

"Shut it, Cindy. The birthday girl makes the rules, and my rules are paws off my boyfriend." I'm just a little stunned. _Boyfriend?_ I didn't know we were dating... I play along though, and loop my arm in hers.

After a tense couple of minutes the limo finally comes to take us to the house. I hope the rest of the day isn't this bad.

In the limo, Alex made the mistake of telling her three friends that Ace worked for the Russian government. So right when we got to the house and put our things in our rooms, the first thing they did is demand a demonstration of 'something ninja' from her. She rolls her eyes, but I can tell the spark in them means she's eager to impress. Grabbing a broomstick from the pantry, she keeps them occupied with impressive displays of aim and general skills. I've seen it all before, so I pull Alex to the side after a few minutes. I take her into the closest room, which just so happens to be a bedroom. _Well, this doesn't look awkward at all..._

"Loki? What is it?" Alex asks as I close the door behind me. She looks around then back at me.

"It's not what it looks like. I just wanted to talk to you," I reply. She nods, unsure.

"You called me your...boyfriend back there."

She nods. "And?"

"Well, I haven't even asked you out yet." She raises an eyebrow.

"Problem?"

"Nothing I can't fix." I walk over to her. "So, Alex, would you like to go out with me?" She grins.

"I thought you'd never ask." She tugs on my shirt collar bringing my face within inches of hers. She grins wildly. I already know what she wants, so I oblige. I kiss her hard on the mouth. She kisses back, pulling me closer. I wrap my arms around her waist pulling her body so close, air couldn't pass between us. The kiss deepens as I run my tongue over her bottom lip. She smiles under the kiss before parting her lips, allowing me access to her mouth. The fight for dominance begins. A few seconds later I realize how close we are to 'making the news,' as Uncle Steve would put it. I break apart a little, keeping my face close to hers.

"What's wrong?" she pouts. "Not good enough for Thor's brother?" I shake my head.

"No, I guess I just..." I trail off, not sure of how to say what I'm thinking without offending her. It's not that I don't want her. God knows I do, but I... I can't, and I hate the look in her eyes. I try to tell her that it's nothing against her, but she puts a finger to my lips. She nods, understanding my meaning, and pulls me down to sit next to her on the bed. We stare at the floor for a few seconds before she flops backwards on the bed and says,

"Well, Steve _did_ raise you right, didn't he?"

I laugh. "Of course."

She sits back up and tilts my chin towards her, kissing me lightly. "I can wait," she says sweetly. _And this is why I love her._ I kiss her softly before pulling her into my arms. I just hold her. Then the door bangs open.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all..." Ace says. I grin at Alex and turn to my teammate.

"Sorry your eyes had to see that. Where to now, Your Majesty?" Ace grins.

"To the real party."

I glance at Alex and she digs in her purse, coming up with three fake ID's. "I love my daddy," she says, handing me mine. It makes me 22, past the legal drinking age. _Oh, Alex._ But I go along with it. Thor won't mind.

"Let's go!"

The music floats out into the street from the club. The limo drops us off in front where a long line is waiting to get in. Ace begins to head for the end of it when Alex pulls her back.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Going to the club?"

"We're rich, sweetie," Mindy says.

"Yeah. We get in free," Lindy adds.

"And we never wait in line," Alex says. She leads the group up to the large bouncer, our guards not far behind.

"Welcome, Miss Stark," the bouncer says, opening the velvet rope for her.

"They're with me," she smiles at the man. He nods and lets us go through. The crowd raises complaints, but one look from the bouncer shuts them all up. We walk into the prestigious club, ready for a night of partying. Alex's three companions go straight to the couches in the back, sitting pretty to try and attract the attentions of any and all guys. Ace lifts her fake ID from Alex's purse and heads straight to the bar. And Alex pulls me straight to the dance floor. After a few minutes, I pick up the strange dance moves and soon we are dancing away. I don't even notice as the clock on the dim wall moves forward an hour. But after that Alex decides it's time for a little 'girl talk' and goes over to her friends, leaving me to fend for myself. I wander over to the bar and sit down next to Ace. She's deep in conversation with the bartender, a heavyset Russian. It's kind of amazing, this small girl rapidly firing off Russian to the man who's almost as tall as Thor but has a waistline like Volstagg. She notices me and stops her torrent of the mother tongue.

"Oh, hello Loki. Come over to learn the right way to drink vodka?" I look down and see the shot glass between her fingers. _It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,_ I say to myself, and nod. Ace grins.

"We'll have to start you off small," she says, looking appreciatively through all the bottles lined up on the bar's wall. Her eyes light on one and she fires off an order in Russian. The bartender grins and fills up two shot glasses, pushing one over to me. Ace takes the other one, slowly savoring the clear drink. I watch her and then try to do the same, but end up having to blink back tears as the liquid burns my throat. Ace and the bartender roar with laughter.

"Very funny," I gasp out. The bartender says something in Russian to Ace and she responds quickly. The only word that's repeated enough times for me to make out is _inostranets_. Mental note: ask Ace what that means later. She gestures to another bottle, and the bartender pours out two more shots. Ace stops me before I can drain the glass.

"No, no, you ruin it that way!" she cries. "You have to take it slowly. Take the first sip, don't swallow it right away! Make sure you can taste all the flavors! Then the rest, _slowly._" I try to comply with her instruction, but end up nearly choking on the fiery liquid. Ace sips her vodka, taking her time, and I can tell both she and the bartender are gamely trying not to laugh. I glare at her.

"Another!" I will NOT be outdone by a five foot two girl. By the time I'm able to 'savor' my shots, the world is starting to look a little tippy and Ace is none the worse for the wear. I'm insulted. My Asgardian metabolism has slipped. Notwithstanding, I order another shot. The bartender glances at Ace and she laughs, slapping my back. The shot comes and I savor the vodka, this one with a chocolaty edge. I'm aware of the four other girls coming over to us and ordering tequila, and then the world goes fuzzier.

The next thing I know, I'm on the sidewalk outside the club teaching Ace an old Asgardian drinking song that Thor had taught me long ago. I have no idea where the girls went, probably back to the house, but I don't really care. We stagger down the street, screaming the words at the top of our lungs.

"Ohhh, the moon is high, our hearts are full, there's magic in the aaaair! It's all because we're here tonight and haven't got a caaare! So raise your glass, attest to life, wherever it may leaaaad! Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, a friend is fine indeed! Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, a friend is fine indeeeeed!"

As we finish the chorus for the second time, the pavement suddenly comes up to greet me. I have no idea how I got here, but it's comfortable. I would have slept there if Ace hadn't picked me up, slung me over her shoulder like a bag of potatoes, and carried me home, my fingertips grazing the pavement. The gentle sway of her walk and the concrete passing before my eyes is the last thing I know for a while.

I wake up really late the next day, still sprawled on my bed in my new dress. I'd kicked off my heels late last night because they'd started to pinch my ankles, and we weren't doing any more walking. I remember sitting at the bar with a mostly-drunk Ace and Loki, taking a few tequila shots, coming home, and calling up all the party stores in Malibu. Looking down, I find a list clutched in my hand, written in barely-legible handwriting, with all the names of the entertainment that we'd ordered for tonight. Reading it, I'm suddenly glad Dad is picking up the tab for my partying.

I yawn and stretch, leaving my bed for the kitchen. Maybe I'd find something to eat? I reach in the refrigerator and pour myself some icy water. If this doesn't wake me up I don't know what will. Instead of drinking it I splash it on my face. Gasping, I come fully awake. I hear a soft snore behind me and turn around. I have to laugh as I see who exactly is passed out on the coffee table. Ace is sprawled across the green armchair, her arm resting on the table towards a mostly empty bottle of vodka. Loki, however, is half on the coffee table, half on the floor. I'm willing to bet she drank him under the table and carried him home, not caring where she dropped him.

I walk over to him, cold water in hand. This is going to be fun. I bend down beside him, careful not to get too close. I "accidentally" tilt my hand, letting the icy water fall onto his head. _Oops_. His eyes flutter open in shock.

"Who? Wha? Imawake." He tries to lift his head, but just as quickly lets it drop back down onto the table with a thud.

"Morning, Lover Boy," I tease. He groans. "What, did the Russian manage to drink the Asgardian under the table?"

He nods. "Out of practice."

I giggle and pull him up off the table and sit him down on the couch next to me. _Geez, he's heavy. I pity Ace if she had to carry him home._ His head lolls to the side, and I kiss him gently.

"Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty. It's almost time to do it all again."

"I don't wanna," he complains. He lies down, placing his head in my lap. "Can't I just sleep?" I stroke his wet hair.

"Sorry, babe. No can do. I may need saving from the girls. I need you awake," I say with a smile. He's so cute right now.

"You know you sounded just like your dad there," he says, not opening his eyes.

"Sorry, force of habit. Please get up, babe. You need to wake up."

"Slavedriver," he grumbles, but hauls himself up, swaying a little.

"I am not!"

"Seem like it. Got anything for an alcohol-induced headache?"

"Yes, I know how to treat a hangover," I smile. "Come with me."

The party that comes in a few hours is _huge._ The DJ is blasting some bass-filled tune and Alex's three friends are already drunk. Ace is bemoaning the lack of vodka, and I'm just sitting in the middle of it all with Alex. She's leaning against me, attempting to stay upright, a shot of Hell On Earth, as she called it, in her hand. She says it's her birthday drink. I've lost count of the number of how many she has consumed of this and it's beginning to takes its toll on her. She takes the shot with ease.

"Alex, I think you've had enough," I say gently.

"Come on, Loki! Please," she begs. I roll my eyes. "I'll stop if you do something for me," she says sweetly. I raise an eyebrow, not sure if I believe her. To prove her point, she throws her shot glass into the pool. "Promise."

"Okay, fine. What is it?" She turns my head and points with a shaking hand. "Go see if you can outlast Miss Russia tonight."

I shake my head. "Alex, you know she won't do it if there's no vodka." I hope the weak protest sounds good in her head.

"Nope, we have loads!" she says cheerfully, gesturing to the door of the house, which has just opened and two men come out with a full cooler. I put my head in my hands. _You promised,_ my little voice says. I tell it to shut up.

"Fine," I say resignedly. Alex claps her hands. I roll my eyes and start to walk away, but her words stop me.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Alex," I smile.

"Now go prove your worth, my Asgardian hero!" I sigh. _At least I probably won't remember much tomorrow._

Ace's countenance lights up at the mention of her favorite Russian drink. I groan. Five minutes later, we are seated at a small table for two with three drunk girls and one slightly tipsy Alex cheering us on. First shot? Easy. Second? Easy.

Tenth? Eh...the world starts tipping a little. Ace's movements become exaggerated as do Mine. Eleventh shot. Harder.

Thirteenth? Things start to get blurry. I'm dimly aware of Ace's shout of triumph.

"'Nother," I manage through the gathering haze. She is NOT winning again.

Fourteenth? I'm out.

I wake up to sunlight brutally assaulting my eyelids. _What? Jaaarvis…dim my freaking windows…_ I try to form the command but my brain won't make the words string together. My head pounds. I open my eyes the slightest bit. I'm not in my room. I'm on the…on the couch? I am to the right side of the divan, with something comfortable and warm behind me and cradling my head. I slide my hand up and it makes contact with human skin. I jerk upright. Loki's sleeping frame is draped over the left side of the couch, his right arm curled in the space where my head had rested moments before. He has his shirt off and rolled under his head as a pillow. I smile down at him. He looks so cute like that. Gosh, Tony would have killed me if he'd come in while I was sleeping. And poor Loki would have caught heck from Thor, Jane, AND Uncle Sam.

I try and remember a little of last night and can't, so I settle for looking around at the strange room. The dark carpet houses three sleeping figures of half dressed girls all sprawled out in a circle toward one central half empty bottle of wine. In the chair immediately opposite of the couch in which I am l laying on, Ace is curled up like a cat around a mostly empty bottle of vodka. The entire room, ceiling and all, are covered in a fine blanket of glitter.

My feet hit the glittery floor in an attempt to get up. On the third try, I am able to gain my footing and walk over to the tortuous light coming from the window. Out the window sits a pool in the middle of a finely cut lawn. The curtains are clenched in my hand as I realize exactly how much of a mess we made of Daddy's Malibu house. An assortment of plastic lawn ornaments are floating in the pool like life buoys. A large table with DJ equipment is in the far corner, with a sleeping man holding huge headphones and a bottle of beer in front of it. The pristinely white fence is decorated with large amounts of glittery spray paint. I turn my head to take in the whole scene and a new pain cuts through the one in my head. I rub my neck where it is and no blood comes off, so I figure I'm fine. Just to make sure, though, I take out my compact and look it over. _Is that a hickey or a bruise…? _ I look over at Loki. He wouldn't have. But we had all been drunk besides Miss Russia, so… The question remains open, then.

Ugh… My head throbs too much to think any more. To heck with the possibility of Tony finding us like that, I had to get back to sleep. I stumble back to the couch and lay down in my previous position with my comfortable pillow. I'm asleep within ten seconds.

"Alex…" A voice filters through my head. "Aaaalex…" I wave my hand absently, wishing it would just go _away._ "Wakey, wakey…" I open my eyes and see my dad standing over me.

"Augh….Dad….I promise…this isn't what it looks like." He rolls his eyes slightly.

"I know, kiddo." I can tell he doesn't believe me.

He helps me sit up. Then I hear a high, grating voice.

"ALEXANDRA MEAGHAN HOPE STARK!"

That voice could only belong to one mother. I shut my eyes, groan, and flop back down. I hear an _oof_ and my pillow shifts.

"I'm awake! Wha-oh, craaaap…"

This last was because Thor had walked in. He didn't seem to care, and was probably on the verge of complimenting Loki on 'drinking, fighting, and making your ancestors proud,' but then Steve strolled in and things began to go _really_ downhill.

"LOKI MATTHEW KEATON ODINSON!"

I was mildly surprised at this. I'd had no idea he had two middle names, and much less that he had two strikingly _American_ middle names. I would have laughed but my head hurt too much.

"Look, Steve, Pepper, they're just _kids,_ for goodness' sake!" I might have known Daddy would have taken up our cause. I offer him a small smile which is cut off as Loki shifts again, probably frantically pulling his shirt back on. Daddy smiles back at me briefly and goes to the task of fending off an incensed mother and an equally furious uncle.

"They were drunk, how can you expect them to know any better?"

I shake my head slightly. "Not helping our case, Dad."

He winces as Pepper practically screams, "DRUNK?" She hurries over to Tony's side with a motherly scowl on her normally relaxed face.

Thor looks impressed.

"Underage drinking is illegal," Steve says sternly.

"Fake ID, duh," Dad responds.

"Daaaad..."

"TONY STARK!" Mom screams.

I shove myself up into a sitting position and gather my hair behind my head in an attempt to smooth it out. Bad idea. Pepper sees the bruise-_hickey?- _and flips out.

"AlexandraMeaghanHopeStark! Is that a hickey? If it is you are grounded for the REST of your life, SO HELP ME!"

Loki looks over at me and nearly turns green when he sees the "hickey." I can read his thoughts as clearly as if he had said them. _You dad is going to murder me, bury me, and then dance on my grave_.

By now, Jane has arrived at the scene. Her eyes take in everything, and I silently offer up thanks that Loki had his shirt back on. Maybe we would get away with a warning-

"What is the meaning of _hickey_?" a confused Thor questions Steve. Jane's eyebrows shoot up.

"HICKEY?" She screams. I close my eyes again. This morning was going _smashingly_. Natasha and Clint walk in. They survey the scene and surprisingly, don't freak out. Natasha walks over to their daughter and picks up the bottle.

"Black Dot vodka? Ugh, you can do better, moya dochʹ."

Surprisingly, it's her _dad _who freaks out.

"FIVE BOT- ahem- five bottles?" Clint coughs. "Don't you think that's a little much, dear?"

Natasha shakes her head. "She drank more when we infiltrated that casino that one time, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Clint answers. I moan silently. _If only my parents were that cool._

"What happened?" Steve asks.

"I would tell you if I could remember," Loki mutters. On the armchair, Ace stirs. Unfortunately for us, the first words out of her mouth are,

"Dang straight, you can't win against me. Don' care if you're Asgardian."

"Loki-" Steve begins, but is cut off by an angry Thor.

"Loki! What did you lose?" Loki rolls his eyes.

"Drinking contest," he replies, giving up on anything but the truth. Steve's eyes bug out and Thor frowns.

"An Asgardian lost a drinking contest to a Midgardian? Unheard of! You, dear brother, are out of practice. We shall rectify this soon enough-"

"Oh, no you won't!" Steve cuts in. "Look at him! He's miserable. This is why children should NOT drink!"

"But it's okay for adults to drink and embarrass their nephew in front of an entire restaurant?" Loki blurts out. I look over at him, concerned. He's angry, and I have never seen him snap like this. I take his hand and squeeze it gently. I don't even care that my dad is glaring lasers at us. A new sound filters through my ears. Sirens. Then another guy walks in the room. It's Uncle Banner. And he has two policemen behind him. He jerks a thumb at them and addresses my dad.

"What's this?"

And then I _know _that we are all dead.


	17. Good Girl

**Author's Note:** Tony's line about "You think he's going to give you the world, but he'll leave you crying with your heart in the dirt," is part of the song Good Girl by Carrie Underwood. Just in case you were wondering :) Also, cookies for those of you who noticed that the scene where Ace carries Loki home is pretty closely related to one of the deleted scenes of Thor...

-DeadMand'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**Good Girl**

After the chaos has died down, Tony, Pepper, Jane, and I turn back to the two teens on the couch. I'm about to start with the drinking games when I see Loki and Alex holding hands. I guess I'll start with that.

"Do you want to explain what is going on with you two?" I ask, trying to stay as calm as possible considering Banner is only feet behind and looking out for his niece.

"What's there to explain?" Loki grumbles.

"Loki!" Jane says, shocked. "You will answer your uncle's question right now."

"Leave the kid alone, Jane," Tony says.

"So you don't care that he's romantically involved with your daughter?" Jane asks.

"He's not involved with her. She's just trying to comfort him from your attacks," he replies with that ever-present smirk.

"Actually, Dad..." Alex says. We all turn to her. "Loki and I... well... we are kind of going out."

"You're what?" Tony screams.

"Not to mention that heated kiss they had yesterday," one of the girls on the floor laughs stupidly, finally waking from her alcohol-induced coma.

"You three stay out of this," Tony replies, annoyed. "Honey, you can't date him."

"Why not?" I ask. I don't condone this, but I will not have Tony Stark telling his daughter he can't date my nephew for no reason.

"Because," he replies glaring back at me. "His pas-"

"Which you said yourself doesn't matter anymore," Alex retaliates.

"Honey, listen-"

"No! Not until you give me a good reason I can't be with Loki!" she yells. Loki places a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Well, let's see. For one, he's a criminal-" I can see the shadows move in front of Loki's eyes. He looks away from us.

"Ex-criminal," Alex corrects.

"He's not a good guy, Alex. He's a monster! You think he's going to give you the world, but he'll leave you crying with your heart in the dirt."

Loki's face falls. He stands up and leaves the room in a haste.

"Loki!" Alex calls after him. Her father sits her back down.

"Nice going, Stark," I say. I roll my eyes before walking out to talk to my nephew. He's standing outside the front door, just about to take off across the lawn. I catch him before he can, though.

"Loki! What are you doing?"

"It's obvious that you guys don't want me around anymore," he snarls. "Consider this a favor." He turns to leave. I catch his hand, but it dissolves in golden particles. He reappears a few feet from where his illusion stood.

"Look, will you just _stop_?" I say. "We're just worried about what happened! We aren't mad at you specifically!"

"Sure you aren't. No, it can't have _anything_ to do with the fact that I really look like _this_!"

He starts to change again, skin turning blue and green eyes filling in blood red. I take in a breath.

"Sure, it's got nothing to do with my past! Sure, you're not mad at just me for standing by while my only two real friends got themselves stone drunk! Sure, you don't think I'm a monster! Sure, you believe that I changed! Sure, you believe that Loki Odinson exists." He says the last sentence sadly, and puts his head in his hands. He sinks to his knees, not moving as I cautiously come over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. I can feel the sigh as he lets out a breath, all his pent-up anger releasing itself. Suddenly, he seems all of his seventeen years and no older.

"Do they really hate me, Uncle Steve?" he asks in a small voice. It sounds more like the voice of the boy Jane, Thor, and I took to the waterpark the day that he got his nose broken. I sit down on the grass next to him.

"Of course they don't," I say honestly. "You know how insulting Stark can get, and how he never means any of it."

"Doesn't mean he's not right," comes the miserable answer. I know that I should be scolding him for his antics, but I can't hold on to my anger as I look over at the hunched blue form.

"You know I don't lie to my family, Loki," I say. "I'm proud to call you my nephew and I'm sure that Stark is proud to call you teammate."

"And yet he doesn't want me and Alex together. You don't either."

"I know," I say dully, trying to think of anything that sounds better than _you're too young to know what love feels like yet and we don't want you two breaking each other's hearts. _"We're just...worried that..."

"That I'm a monster who can only hurt her."

"No! That's not the point! We're just a worried father and a worried uncle who don't want their daughter and nephew hurting each other when they find that what they have together isn't love."

"When. Not even if. You're not giving us a chance!"

"We're trying to protect you!"

"What if we don't want to be protected?"

I look into his red eyes, for once stricken speechless. He closes his eyes and sighs, continuing with his face down.

"What if we want to be able to find ourselves at our own pace? I mean, I get that you're trying to help us not get hurt, but what if not having any sort of freedom to make our own choices hurts even more?"

"Then...then I'd have to say... that you're right." It finally clicks in my brain. I see his point, and see all the times he'd tried to make me understand before. He looks up at me, surprised that I agreed. I stand up and dust off my pants, holding out a hand to him.

"So, kiddo, let's go back in there and convince the others that you and Alex deserve a chance?"

His red eyes fade to their normal green and he smiles shakily, taking my hand and letting me pull him up. We walk back into the house.

As we enter through the door I am stopped in my tracks by the sight ahead of me. Loki stands as still as a statue when he sees it. Alex is curled up on the couch crying her eyes out. Tony is standing across the room, talking to Jane and Thor. They are all nodding and look up when we enter. Pepper is trying to comfort her daughter, but it doesn't seem to be working. Loki looks over at me as if asking my permission to go to Alex. I nod. He crosses the room in a few strides and takes Peppers place. He pulls the teen into his arms and lets her cry into his chest. It kind of reminds me of the first day we met her and she tried to hide from the world in my shirt.

I walk over to the other adults. Tony glares at me as I walk up.

"What's going on?" I ask. Tony rolls his eyes, turning his head from me. The only problem is he turns to where Loki is holding Alex.

"Get your nephew away from my daughter _now_, Steve," Tony hisses.

"Calm down, Tony. I think we-"

"We're leaving, Steve," Jane says. I stare back at her, confused.

"What?"

"We are leaving in the morning. We are going back to New Mexico. If the team needs us, we can always come back, but Tony and I think it's best if we separate Loki and Alex," Jane says.

"Is that not what you wanted in the first place?" Thor asks.

"Then maybe Alex can get over herself and leave your monster nephew behind. Then she can move on with her life."

I advance on Tony. I'm tired of him insulting my nephew. Thor places his large hands on my shoulders, keeping me in place and not allowing me to attack Tony as I so want to do.

"Let's get Loki and help him pack," Jane says. Thor follows her as she walks over to Loki.

"Good luck explaining this to your daughter," I say to Tony before walking away.

That night, I can't sleep. I'm too busy remembering all the moments Loki and I had shared before...well, I can't bring myself to think of this afternoon. Dad hadn't even let me say goodbye. I'd watched from my window as the taxi drove away, taking the only boy I'd ever cared about away from me. Around midnight, I am fed up with alternately crying and trying to sleep. I shove my covers off and change into athletic wear. I'm sort of surprised at my reaction, but the anger coursing through my veins feels good. I am going to hit this suit training fast and hard, and I won't stop until I am strong enough to stand up for the ones I love and good enough to join the team. I make Jarvis get me a coffee. I'll need all the energy I can get my hands on to make it through tonight. Mom always said that the way I liked my coffee depended on my mood, and tonight I order it straight black and boiling hot. I gulp the liquid, ignoring the burns to my tongue.

I slam open the door to Dad's weapons testing room, not worried about waking anyone up.

"Jarvis! Get my suit ready!" He obliges, and I feel the familiar snapping of metal around my arms and legs. "Power ten percent. Lets do this!"

By now, I've gotten the basic hover pattern down, and now I get to move on to actual flying. The tests go flawlessly. I am now an expert in flying and can easily make my way around the weapons room. I even take the suit around a complex obstacle course without a scratch. Everything is perfect. Hover: check. Fly: check. Now all I need to work on is the most important, fighting.

Jarvis pulls up some old videos of Dad fighting in his suit. I start with the basic ones and work my way up. I'm working quickly, the anger and coffee the only things fueling me. I wish Loki could see me, but he is no longer here. More tears start to fall from my eyes. No! I am NOT going to cry anymore. I move to the last video. It's too easy. I need something more. Something that I can show I am worthy of joining the team.

I carefully go through the videos again. I'm trying to see what makes Dad's fighting style so special. All he does is normal motions, just amplified through the super-powered suit. I slam the laptop shut in disgust, and witness the fall of the childhood fantasy that my dad could indeed fight without his suit. I have to...have to figure out something else. I have to be able to fight without the suit before I am ever able to fight in it. That will make me truly magnificent in the suit. And truly magnificent is what I need.

"Jarvis! Pull up fighting videos!"

The huge flat screen in front of me lights up with a bajillion different videos of multiple styles of fighting. I sift through them and find a few basic moves. The more advanced stuff can come later. All I need right now are the basics.

"Jarvis, can you make the suit do that?" I ask, pointing to an empty suit standing on the wall.

"Certainly, ma'am." The suit powers itself up, walks out to the center of the floor, and executes the fighting move perfectly. I go over in front of it.

"Jarvis, make it do it again. In slow motion."

The suit goes through the move slowly. I follow it, grinning. Finally, a challenge.

"Again!"

By the time seven AM rolls around, I have mastered the basic moves I'll need for tomorrow night. My muscles are shaking from the workout, and I tiredly order Jarvis to clean up after me as I leave for my bedroom. I change back into my pajamas and fall onto my bed, thoroughly exhausted.

A few hours later, according to my wall clock, I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in," I call groggily. The door opens to reveal my mom, holding a plate and a glass of milk. She sets it down on my bedside table, and I smell the aroma of freshly home-baked chocolate chip cookies.

"Here you go, honey. I thought you could use them after yesterday."

I smile back at her. She looks concerned.

"Did you sleep alright, darling? You look really tired." I wave her worry away.

"Yeah, fine."

She smiles trustingly, and I feel vaguely bad about deceiving her. "Enjoy the cookies," she calls over her shoulder. _Oh believe me Mom, I will._

I stay holed up in my room all day, researching more fighting moves on my laptop, starring the ones I'll be learning tonight. I rely on the cookies for lunch and don't even notice when dinner comes around. Well, that's until I hear another tap at my door.

I go over and open it a crack, poking my head out. I see my dad staring back at me with sad eyes.

"Alex, I'm sorry about yesterday," he begins. "I just...I...um...will you come down to dinner?" He shoves his hands in his pockets. I put on my best poker face and reply,

"I think I'm good tonight." I shut the door in his face before he can respond.

I have to take a coffee break halfway through practice tonight. I guess I'm still tired from last night. My coffee is still black and hot, and it wakes me up a lot. I stretch my screaming muscles and ready myself for another fighting move. This one's a bit more complicated than the rest- it involves a flip. I know I don't trust myself to flip on my own, so I suit up. I watch the old suit go through the flipping move twice, and then I jump in. The first five times I land in positions that would have killed me for sure if I hadn't suited up. As it is, though, I only get bruises. I pull myself up for the sixth try, and get ready.

I guide myself through the familiar motions, fairly certain I did the takeoff right. But as I'm nearly vertical with the floor, my thrusters all go off at once. I have no idea why, and I'm completely caught by surprise as my body is thrown backwards and towards the floor. I land, bounce once, and come to a rest. The breath is knocked out of me, my ankle is on _fire,_ and my shoulder is worse. When I don't immediately tell Jarvis that I'm fine, he asks.

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

My only response is a groan. Machines come over and pick me up, straightening me out. I yell in pain as they touch my shoulder, back, and ankle.

"No, ma'am, you are _not_ alright. I'm calling your father."

"Jarvis! No!" I remember shouting the words, but his reply is lost in the gathering haze. I get tunnel vision, and then I don't remember anything.

Consciousness returns in a burst of pain. I scream my way back into the world, stopping when the pain lancing through my arm dims immediately to a dull ache.

"Hello, Alex. Feeling better?" The voice is familiar, so I guess it's safe to snark at.

"Do I _look_ better?"

"Yes, actually. Your shoulder is back in its proper joint." I recognize the voice as belonging to Uncle Banner.

"Alex! What were you thinking?" Mom's voice screams. I groan in response.

"Is she going to be okay?" a voice that sounds like Dad's asks.

"Yes. She just needs rest. She has a sprained ankle and bruising on her back, but other than that, she's fine," Uncle Banner answers.

"Tony! Why would you ever-" Mom begins.

"Honey! I didn't do anything! I'm just as surprised as you are that she did this!"

I find myself wishing that I could pass out again as they both turn to me.

"Alex, sweetie, what were you doing in your dad's suits?" Mom asks.

"It doesn't matter," I reply.

"Yes it does!" Dad says forcefully. "I...I could have lost my little girl."

The love in the simple statement breaks my heart.

"Really, it doesn't matter. It was a stupid idea anyway." I say, depressed that my idea didn't work out.

"No," Dad says softly. "It was brave. I'm proud of you, Alex." He leaves quietly.

It's one in the morning, and my daughter is in the infirmary with a sprained ankle, a bruised back, and a dislocated shoulder. _Why?_ I ask the simple question.

_Because she felt worthless, like she couldn't do anything for the team,_ answers my little voice. I try to argue with it.

"She designed scenarios! That's worth a lot!"  
_Tony Stark, do you even believe yourself?_

"Shut up."

I run my hand through my hair.

_Maybe she felt like she couldn't even keep the guy she cared about from leaving._

"I said, shut UP!"

_Maybe she was trying to prove herself._

I slam my fist against the wall in frustration. My Alex is just too much like me.

_Maybe she just wanted you to be proud of her._

Before I get the chance to hit my head into the wall, an idea pops into it.

_Yep. There's the genius I know. _

Well that's just peachy. My little voice is praising me. I look around the hallway.

"Jarvis!"

"Yes, sir?" He answers.

"Open up a new document in my private drive. I have an idea..."

The Destroyer sits on his throne, looking over the barren wasteland that surrounds him. He can see the scenes on Midgard almost as clearly as if he was there himself. The girl lying injured, the father thinking he was so clever, the broken hearted boy sitting on his bed still trying to come to grips with his true form, the ever-bored archer decorating the already ruined wall with arrows again, the mother and father sitting peacefully, the lone captain looking up at the stars, the demigod drinking coffee and studying the rim of the cup as if it held the answers to life. Yes, the team was breaking apart quite splendidly.


	18. Another Coulson

Another Coulson

I pace my cell, feeling my trenchcoat flap behind me. I've been in here for three weeks, ever since the day Loki and Verusha were put into the training program. This big blue alien had come up to me on my way down to the Avengers team training, snapped his fingers, and I had gone out like a light. Next thing I knew, I'd woken up in this small cell face to face with the being behind the power S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to trace. Today, though, I am worried. I don't know why, but I've been getting the feeling that something bad is happening back on Earth. Sure enough, I hear the heavy steps of my captor as he comes down the dark hallway to my cell. I stand in the middle of the four walls, staring straight forward as he comes into focus.

Three weeks and I still haven't gotten used to his face. It's a horrible shade of red, with his blue eyes piercing out from under heavy eyebrows. His mouth is a thin slash in the sea of red, and he only shows his teeth when he laughs his horrible grating laugh. His helm is pure gold, with wings above his forehead that tell of his high position. I sigh and prepare for another conversation with Red Guy.

"You are nervous," he notes. I don't bother asking how he knows, just nod my head.

"Not as nervous as you should be. I'm willing to bet my whole team has gotten a bead on you and are coming up right now to kick you in the seat of your prim little golden pants!"

He laughs, the sound like razors. I resist the urge to cover my ears.

"I now see where your 'Captain America' got his trademark insolence from," he says coldly. I smirk.

"Just now dawning on ya?"

He doesn't deign to reply, but opens the palm of his right hand. A glowing orb appears in it, more like a portal to another world than a ball. Scenes flash through it haphazardly.

"You said you were willing to bet your team had found you. I'm afraid you would lose the wager. See for yourself- they are broken apart."

I look into the portal, and pictures flash across it slowly enough for me to make them out. Loki, finding out his true memories. Alexandra, training in one of Stark's old suits and falling in an unmoving heap. Thor, Jane, Cap, and Loki leaving. Verusha firing arrows into the wall, clearly bored out of her skull. Members of the team, all scattered, none of them working together. I can't believe my eyes.

"Yeah, don't believe a word of it," I say carelessly. "Really, where _do_ you learn to interrogate prisoners? That's been done a million times- bad guy shows good guy faked footage of teammates in danger or dead, good guy despairs and gives up the fight, leaving bad guy free to do whatever without good guy interfering." I bring my face closer to the bars, glaring out at the monster with my good eye.

"Well let me tell you something, Mr. Destroyer, here is one S.H.I.E.L.D. director you _won't _take in so easily. If you think you can get me to give up all hope simply by showing me obviously fake pictures of what's supposedly been happening to my team, you. Are. Wrong. I don't believe you, and I will never stop fighting you."

The Destroyer grins. "If that is your choice, Nick Fury, then by all means stand to it. But I tell you truly, these pictures are not falsified. They are true accounts of what passes between your team on Midgard."

He turns and stalks back down the corridor. I sigh and sit back against the wall. I hope it's not true...

"I told you, I don't want to celebrate," I say, the anger lacing my voice like poison.

"I know, but we have to. It's all part of the American custom," Uncle Steve replies.

"I'm not American. I don't care!"

"Loki, please, stop fighting us on this," Jane says, placing a motherly hand on my shoulder.

"So, you're telling me that everyone in America has a birthday party every year?" I ask.

"Well, no, but..."

I cut Uncle Steve off. "Exactly. Why should I have to?"

Ever since we all went our separate ways, much to my displeasure, I've been more reserved. I know I have. I have been spending more time in my room and avoiding my so called family. I don't know why we had to leave. Is it really so bad that I was with Alex Stark? I thought Uncle Steve had my back on this, but the other two had voted him down. I wish I could go back and fight to stay with her, but it's too late.

"Loki, you are not still mad that we made you move, are you?" Thor asks.

I just roll my eyes.

"It was for the best, you know. It would never have worked." Thor says.

"How do you know?" I ask.

"You are too young to be in love. It's better if you just let her go," Jane chimes in.

"What if I can't?" I stand up to leave, but she catches my wrist.

"Sit down, Loki. We need to discuss this," she says.

"You want to know the real reason I don't want to celebrate?" I ask.

"Yes," Thor responds.

"It's because every year you and Uncle Steve get drunk and embarrass me. I'm tired of it. I just want to spend one birthday with my dignity intact," I bark. In reality, it's only happened twice, but that seems irrelevant in my anger.

"Loki..." Uncle Steve stares at me in shock. I have never gone off on them like this before. I can hardly believe it myself. Alex must have rubbed off on me.

"How about this. A compromise," Uncle Steve says. Against my better judgment, I listen. "We will celebrate Loki's eighteenth birthday at home with a nice family dinner that Jane will prepare. Good?"

We all nod to avoid another argument.

We are all sitting around the table waiting on Jane to serve her famous birthday dinner. None of us say a word. They are probably still mad at me for going off, but they did deserve it. i'm still not sure about Uncle Steve, but he had let this all happen so I feel somewhat justified.

_Ding Dong!_

The doorbell cuts through our silence. We all glance at each other, none making a move to get up.

"Fine, I'll get it," Uncle Steve says.

He gets up reluctantly to get the door. I hear the front door creak open and Steve let out a startled gasp.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, confused.

I can't hear the response, but they must have been pretty convincing because the next thing I know I hear footsteps in the hallway and Uncle Steve shows up in the doorway. I look down, not really caring who our visitor is. I stay with my head down, focusing on the tablecloth, until I hear a familiar voice.

"Privet, Loki."

I look up. Alex and Ace are standing in the dining room. My heart swells. They came back. And hel-LO, Alex looks stunning. She wears a soft baby pink shirt with a pretty low v-neck, a girly denim skirt that Tony probably never would have approved of, and a pair of black flats. My eyes travel up her body and come to rest on her face, where a pair of violet eyes stare back at me. Tonight, they are the loveliest shade of purple I have ever seen them; a deep unending blue-violet reminiscent of a galaxy. Little reflections of light dance and sparkle in her eyes like so many stars. I find my tongue inexplicably tied for a few moments. Then, when I find my voice again, I manage to murmur,

"Wow, this is the best birthday present ever."

Alex smiles, and the room lights up. I can feel my head spinning.

"You're welcome, Loki. Happy 18th."

I walk across the room and hug Ace first. She returns the hug with a smile on her face. I move to Alex next. As soon I as take her in my arms, though, she winces in pain. I look down at her, concerned. She always seem to be hurt when I hug her.

"It was an accident. I'm fine," she smiles. For once she is actually telling me the truth. I nod, settling for a simple kiss on the cheek from her.

"What are you doing here?" Jane asks, walking into the room.

"We, _ma'am_, are celebrating our friend's birthday with him," Ace says in a tone of steel.

"That's not a problem, is it?" Alex asks. I'm surprised. I must have rubbed off on her.

"No. Not at all. I'll set two extra places," Uncle Steve says.

The dinner is nice. Ace sits to my left, and Alex to my right. The conversation is light and friendly enough, but I can tell Jane is uncomfortable with Alex here.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Jane asks.

"Um, no, ma'am. They don't," Alex answers. Jane's face goes white.

"You have betrayed your parents' trust in driving all the way down here," Thor remarks around a mouthful of green beans.

"With all due respect, Thor, my Dad would never understand," Alex responds. Wow. _With all due respect?_ I must have rubbed off on her more than I thought.

Thor, obviously flattered by the 'respect' due him, replies with a smile. "Well I am sure the Man of Iron would not, as you mortals say, 'mind' too much."

"He won't. Besides, he's too busy working in his lab to bother keeping track of my time in the hospital."

I nearly choke on my roll. _Hospital?_

"You were injured, my lady?" Thor asks. "May I inquire as to how?"

"Oh, it was a mistake on my part. I was practicing in my father's old Iron Man suits and the thrusters kicked in at the wrong time, sending me into the ground. That's really all I remember," she says. Thor nods.

"It was a valiant effort on your part," he says, holding up his glass of milk. "I drink to your attempts." He drains his glass in a single gulp.

"Why thank you," she smiles. _Thank you?_

Thor turns to Jane a little sheepishly. "May I trouble you for more?" he asks charmingly. She nods and walks into the kitchen, almost mechanically. Then the door is nearly pounded down by a furious tirade of knocks. Alex grins.

"That'd be my parents," she says smoothly. As if on cue, Mr. Stark bursts through the door, Doctor Banner and Pepper directly behind him. Following a little farther behind them are Ace's parents.

"What is going on?" Natasha asks coolly.

"We are celebrating Loki's birthday," Ace replies. "I think you're just in time for the cake."

"What? No! No time for cake! Alex, get in the car _now_! We are going home," Mr. Stark says. Alex rolls her eyes, and makes no move to get up. Jane walks back in the room and nearly drops Thor's glass of milk.

"Alex, _now_!" Mr. Stark says.

"Ace, come on. We should go," Ace's father says.

Both girls stay put beside me. Alex takes my hand and Ace places a hand on my shoulder. I can't help but smile.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Jane asks before things can escalate further.

We walk along one of New Mexico's quiet country roads, enveloped in the peaceful evening. It's nearly dark outside, and the fireflies are just starting to peep out of the trees. The beauty, however, is lost on the crowd of adults walking behind us three teenagers. They keep their voices hushed, but every so often I can hear the angry ring of Mr. Stark's voice and the placating tones Jane and Pepper know how to use so well. Alex and Ace are still on either side of me. We haven't said a word. There's really nothing to be said. Their actions back in the house spoke for themselves.

We've almost completed the loop back to Jane's house when it happens. A huge truck comes whipping around the bend, the driver obviously intoxicated. He's out of control, veering crazily from side to side. He's going to hit us. I react without thinking, shoving Alex and Ace behind me and trying to put up a shield of magical energy, but I'm not fast enough. The truck- a brand new Ford F350 with a roll bar- hits us and we are sent flying backwards. It's the last thing I know for a few seconds.

I come around to Uncle Steve gently shaking me. My eyes snap open and in an instant I'm shoving him away from me.

"No, no no! Go see if they're all right!" My voice is near-frantic and I sound crazy even to myself. He kneels beside me, checking me over to make sure I'm not hurt.

"Don't worry about me, get _them_!"

"Loki, what happened to your arm?"

"Get them!"

"You're bleeding."

"I don't care!"

"Loki! Snap out of it! The others are all taking care of them! They're fine! You're the one with the bloody arm!"

I sit back, not satisfied, and let Uncle Steve wrap my arm up in his jacket. Mr. Stark comes over.

"Are they alright?" I nearly scream at him. He just nods.

"You saved them," he says. I sit back and close my eyes, finally starting to feel the pain in my arm.

"Good."  
***

A few minutes later, we're all back at the house. I've suddenly become the most popular fellow around. Alex and Ace have cleaned and bandaged my arm. Pepper, Clint, and Natasha have already thanked me profusely for my selfless act, and if there was any doubt in their minds that I'd changed, I can tell that it's gone now. After most of the madness has settled down, Mr. Stark comes up to me.

"Hey, kid," he says. I look up.

"Hello, Mr. Stark."

"What did you do back there?" he asks

"I saw that my friends were in trouble. So I helped them out. That's what friends _do._" I can't keep the bitterness out of my voice. He looks down, a little ashamed.

"Why did you do it? Shove the others out of the way?" he asks finally.

"Because I love them. I love Ace like a sister, and I love Alex like...well, _Alex._"

"I get it now," he says softly. "I can tell you really do love them, especially Alex. I know I was harsh earlier, but I was just trying to protect my little girl from heartbreak. And I know she really loves you." He sighs. I just look at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, Loki. I was wrong about you. You've really changed."

I smile. "Yeah," I manage in a small voice. Mr. Stark returns the grin.

"Now you're someone I wouldn't mind my little girl dating." Across the room, Alex gasps and gets up.

"Dad!" She runs to him and they hug. To this day, I'm not sure if I've ever seen Mr. Stark happier. After a few seconds, they break apart, his hands on her shoulders. He mock-frowns at her.

"But don't you _dare_ turn into one of those couples who are always snogging in public."

Alex grins cheekily. "Wouldn't dream of it, Daddy." He smiles before handing her over to me. She holds my hand tightly, and I wince a little. She quickly loosens her grip and settles for a peck on the cheek.

"See?" Mr. Stark throws up his hands in surrender. "I give up." We all laugh. Alex turns to me with a smile.

"Happy Birthday, my Asgardian hero."


	19. Ice Cream and Gasoline

Ice Cream And Gasoline

We stay overnight at our house, everyone taking random couches, pillows, and floor space to sleep on. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we start back for New York. Thor leaves first, flying back to Stark Tower with Jane in his arms, and then the rest of us have to figure out how to fit into three cars. Uncle Steve (obviously) takes his motorcycle, and Ace volunteers to go with him. I think she just likes riding motorcycles. Her parents drive their Maserati as always, and Mr. Stark takes Pepper back in his bright orange Lamborghini. Banner ends up driving Jane's mobile research station just in case she'd need it in New York. That leaves Alex and I in her blindingly hot pink Ferrari. She drives, and I attempt to navigate from the passenger's seat. We pass Mr. Stark a few miles out, Alex going at _least_ thirty miles over the speed limit. Our windows are down and as she passes her parents she screams to her dad,

"Last one to the Tower buys ice cream for everyone else!"

They don't have a chance to reply, but about a mile later Alex's mobile chirps with a text from her dad.

_You're on. Hope you have a lot of cash- Banner and Steve both eat like bottomless pits._

She doesn't take her eyes off the road but dictates to me.

"I'm not the one who needs to worry about cash. Oh, and don't forget the triple scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough for me."

I laugh. "So we're just driving straight through the night then?"

"Heck no! What do you think I am? Magic? I'd die if we did that. Nope, we're stopping tonight."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

She looks over at me and gives me a sexy wink. "Don't worry, I said I'd wait. So wipe that scared look off your kisser." She turns her head back to face the road.

I ride on the back of Steve's motorcycle, loving the feel of the wind whipping my long auburn hair. I _love_ riding motorcycles! Especially because this is the only area that I know of that Steve bends the law. On a long straightaway with no one else in sight, he'll take us 80, 90, 100 miles an hour. I absolutely love it. When we pull over to the side of the road for the first time, Steve throws me a soda that he'd stowed in his pack. We sit on the roadside, looking for all the world like a father and daughter out for a morning ride. A few minutes later my parents pass us, the Maserati purring its way up the country lane. Mama has her window open, and I'm famous for my aim, so as they pass us at sixty miles an hour she gets a mostly-empty Coke bottle to the face. Steve laughs and high fives me.

"That. Was. Awesome! Respect!"

I grin. "Thanks." Then the roar of an engine comes from down the way, and not two seconds later a bright pink Ferrari screams by. Loki shouts something at us that sounds suspiciously like

"!"

In other words, he sounds like he's gargling marbles. Steve and I look at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. We stand up to go and his mobile rings.

It's a text from Tony Stark. _My crazy daughter has instigated a driving contest. Last one to New York buys everyone else ice cream. I'd advise you two to hurry unless you wanna be buying for Banner. _

Steve's eyes widen. "I am NOT buying all the ice cream Banner is sure to eat. Let's go."

We climb back on the motorcycle and take off at a good 70 miles an hour.

I look in the mirror. My hair is pulled back after my shower, and I'm in nothing but my towel. I "forgot" my clothes outside in the room. It's time for a little fun. I walk out of the bathroom. Loki is sitting on his bed (Yes, we got a two bed room. He insisted).

"The shower's all yours," I say in a soft voice. He looks up and his jaw hits the floor.

"Um, Alex?" he says. I nod sweetly. "Are you going to put any clothes on?"

"They're in my bag," I reply pointing to the pack at his feet. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, just the itty bitty teensy weensy fact that if your dad were here right now he would kill me and drive over my grave in his shiny Lamborghini."

I walk over to him. He's still sitting on his bed, so the advantage is mine. I place my hands on either side of him, bringing my face only inches away from his.

"But my dad's not here," I whisper. A half-smile plays across his lips, and then he puts a finger to mine.

"But you're sadly dating a man with honor."

"But it's only a little fun," I wink. I move his hand to my waist and touch my lips to his. He kisses back, but quickly pulls way. He slides out from under me.

"You seem to be forgetting that Captain America raised me." I roll my eyes, but keep the smile on my face. I gently push him into the bathroom and close the door behind him.

"Just take your shower," I say with a chuckle.

I walk over to my bag and pull out my clothes, a black tank and shorts so short, they can't really be classified as shorts. Loki walks out of the bathroom about ten minutes later, his hair still wet from his shower. He's only in his basketball shorts. I smile. He has an amazing body, all those hours of training have done their work. He lays back on his bed. I'm not about to let him sleep yet, I'm not done having my fun.

"Loki, I'm bored," I say, rolling over so I'm not facing him. Yep, playing hard-to-get. A TV remote hits me in the back. I glare over my shoulder at him. "Really?" I can see he's holding back a laugh.

I get up from my bed and walk the short distance to his. I sit on the edge and turn to him.

"Come on, Loki. Talk to me."

He looks up, his startling green eyes staring into mine. "Tell me a secret," he says.

"Hmm... I eat my Oreos backwards," I laugh.

"Are you mocking me?" he asks with that adorable smile.

"Me? No! Never!" I grin.

He raises up and attacks me in a hug making me scream out. He pulls me down to lay beside him. I laugh before curling up to him. His hand gently strokes my back as my head comes to rest on his chest, listening to the careful thumps of his heart beat. Yep, I have a man with a heart of gold. He'd never do anything before its time, and that sets him apart from most of the other guys I'd ever met. _And this is why I love him. _I look up into his eyes.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I say, indicating what took place not long ago.

"Okay, I forgive you," he responds, teasing lightly. Then, "Alex," he says softly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," he whispers. I smile and lean up to him. I kiss him lightly on the lips.

"I love you too, Loki," I reply. He smiles back at me.

We stay like that the rest of the night, holding each other, neither one wanting to let go.

"Pepper! I am NOT stopping just so you can catch a sale!" I nearly scream. We had driven all night and I am _not_ about to lose our lead and end up having to buy Steve _and_ Bruce ice cream.

"Oh, come on, Tony."

"Do you not remember that my daughter has challenged me? I need to win!"

"Our daughter!" she corrects. "And why do you need to win so badly?"

"Bragging rights! It must be done! And because of the fact that if we lose I will end up spending twice as much money as you are thinking of spending at that store just to pay for Banner's ice cream!"

"Just for a few minutes. Please, Tony."

"I said no!"

"Tony Stark you pull this car over and drop me off at that store right now. Then you will go and park this car, and wait on me to finish my shopping."

An idea pops into my head. "Yes, ma'am. You're paying for the ice cream though."

"Oh, darling. Thank you." she plants a kiss on my cheek. I pull over and let her out. She waves my credit card in a good-bye gesture. "But you're paying for my shopping."

She walks away before I can say anything. At least- Wait! _What?_ I would rather buy the ice cream!

"Pepper!" I scream after her, but it's too late. God help me.

"Hit me!" Steve yells over the wind. I reach behind me and pull the icy bottle of Coca-Cola out from its secure place, holding onto the Harley Davidson with my knees as I unscrew the top. I reach over his shoulder and shove the bottle between his teeth. He takes a swig and nods. I chug the rest and wait for a trash can to fly past. I hit it dead center and we keep on as we've been doing all night and well into this morning. I think we've gone through about twelve litres of Coke by now. But it must be done, because Steve is going to make me split the cost of the ice cream with him if we lose.

We're almost to the state of New York, and the sun is high in the sky as we fly across a bridge, startling a few ducks. They glide in the air next to us for a few seconds, and I throw back my head and let out a yell. I am _so_ getting a motorcycle the _second_ I get my American license.

By the time she's done, three hours later! I don't even try to race for the finish. I already know what I will see. Everyone else there waiting on me. Sometimes I hate driving with my wife.

I pull around the corner, driving slowly up the street to my house, and find exactly what I thought. Jane is chatting with Natasha, Steve and Ace are telling Thor a story- an epic one, judging from how much Ace is waving her arms around- and Clint is talking to Loki, who happens to have his arms around my little girl's waist. Wait. Where's Banner? As if on cue, a van rattles around the far corner and the _insolent little tin can parks in my spot._ Banner gets out, mops his brow, and grins over at me. My jaw drops at the upstart man. He just beat me by what? Seconds? I keep the names to myself, resolve to charge my cattle prod later on, pull up, and get out of the car. Pepper follows close behind.

"You're last, Daddy," Alex says sweetly, yet triumphantly.

"I had to pull over and wait on _your _mother to finish her little shopping spree," I say with a roll of my eyes.

"There was a sale, can you blame me?" Pepper says.

"Yes," the guys, Ace, and I say in unison. Natasha, Jane, and Alex turn to Pepper.

"There was a sale?" they ask. Pepper nods.

"Tony get the bags," she says. I'm about to object, but decide against it when she glares at me.

"And don't forget the ice cream," Ace says with a cocky smile.

"_And don't forget the ice cream_," I mock. I walk to the trunk and unload my wife's hundreds of heavy bags. "What did you buy, Pepper?"

"A little of everything," she says with a shrug.

I try to walk past the group to the building, but Steve, Loki, and Alex stop me.

"We had a deal, Stark," Steve says.

"Loser buys ice cream," Loki adds.

"Marble Slab sounds good," Ace says. The others nod.

"Sorry, Daddy," Alex smiles. "But you did lose."

"Don't remind me..."

I go back to the car and pull away from the curb. Bajillion dollar ice cream bill here I come.


	20. I Am Never Joining The Military

I Am Never Joining The Military

"Team meeting," Uncle Steve calls once all the ice cream is gone. The others groan in response, but they pay attention. "Okay, I know- Tony, where are you going?"

"To my lab, don't worry I'm all for the team. GO TEAM! See?" Mr. Stark says over his shoulder. Doctor Banner won't let him go without a fight, though.

"Tony, sit back down. We need to come up with a plan," he says. Mr. Stark turns around.

"What? I thought we had a plan. Steve here would lead us into a glorious battle, we would win, everything would go back to normal, and you all would leave my house for good," Mr. Stark says with a smile.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Clint asks.

Mr. Stark ponders this for a moment. "Nope! Don't think so!"

"Director Fury is still missing, we have no idea who we're fighting, no idea how to prepare, and no idea what is even going on, Tony. I'd say that's forgetting a lot."

"Forget about Fury, he was always in our face anyway. It doesn't matter. Besides, who can beat the Avengers? I mean not even all powerful Loki with his massive Army Of Evil from outer space could do it. No offense, Loki," Mr. Stark replies. I nod. I am not about to get in this argument again.

"Tony, I think this enemy is a lot stronger than anything we've faced before. I mean, in each scenario the fake Fury put us through, someone died. I don't think you want to lose teammates out in the battle, do you?" Clint says.

"I'm working on that. Don't worry. I have a plan," he smiles.

"Mind sharing?" Ace asks.

"Actually, yes I do mind. I think I'll keep it to myself, until the time is right, of course."

"Of course," I say, rolling my eyes.

"What? You guys don't trust me?" We all shake our heads. "Well. I guess I'll just go then." The only thing bruised about him at the moment is his ego.

"I can create another scenario," Alex offers.

"Umm... no thanks, Alex. I don't think we'll be needing it," Uncle Steve says.

"Well then you all don't need me," she says. She gets up, acting like nothing is wrong, but I can tell she's hurt. She walks out of the room. I look at Uncle Steve.

"What? I don't need another computer program to train us. I have a plan."

Honestly, him saying he has a plan scares me more than when Mr. Stark said it.

The soft wind sweeps through our secret place. The pink blooms on the branches of our tree sway gently in the wind. The wind carries the softest giggle to my ears. I open my eyes to see a pair of purple eyes staring back at me. I smile up at them. A cool hand strokes my hair back. The smile only Alex can give makes my heart swell. The soft fabric of a blanket runs under my fingers as I move my hand up to meet hers.

"Enjoy your nap?" she asks. I turn my head slightly trying to find out what my head is resting on. It's her lap.

"I did," I respond. I finally take her hand in mine and bring it down to my lips, placing a soft kiss on it. All of a sudden she draws her hand back and slaps me hard across the face.

"Wakey wakey sleeping beauty," she says in Uncle Steve's voice. I snap my eyes open, and my uncle's face comes into focus. _It was a dream? _He's woken up Ace as well, and is now yelling something at us.

"You have 10 minutes to get dressed and be out on the prepared field in the back of Stark Tower. Don't worry about breakfast, it's been provided. Dress warmly. There is a slight chance of an early snow this year. If you're late..." he trails off menacingly. "You don't want to know what happens if you're late." He turns and stalks out of the room. Ace is about to flip over and bury herself back in her covers, but right as he leaves he flips the lights on. She groans. I flip myself out of bed, pull back her covers, and throw her jacket at her.

"Up and at 'em, Ace."

She hauls herself up, glares at me, and pulls on a long sleeve black shirt over her tank top. I turn to my suitcase, trying to find something warm enough to wear in a light snow. I settle for layering a black long sleeve shirt over a white T-shirt, putting a heavy jacket on over it. Warm black sweatpants complete my ensemble. I hear a muttered Russian curse from the other side of the room, and turn to see Ace zipping up the black jacket she wore when I first met her. It's thin, and doesn't seem to be the jacket for shutting out the cold October wind. The black track pants she's wearing don't seem all that warm either.

"What?" she asks irritably as I raise an eyebrow at her. "I don't have any fancy warm clothes like you."

"You sure you won't freeze out there?" I ask, genuinely concerned.

"I'll be fine. Let's go before Steve gets his boxers in more of a bunch."

I try to hide my grin and politely hold the door for her.

A short walk later, we are in the elevator with the rest of the team. They all look like zombies. I'm pretty sure Ace and I do too, but still. No one says a word as we descend, and Mr. Stark lets out a yawn that's big enough to rival a lion's. Well, we all know who pulled an all-nighter.

We all leave, half leaning on the person to our right. We walk out of Stark Tower, only to be greeted by gusts of cold wind. This is going to be a long day.

"It's too cold, I'm going back to bed," Mr. Stark says walking back toward the door.

"Tony, do you really want to upset Steve this early. Can't you just corporate?" Clint asks. I've never seen Mr. Stark back down from an argument, but I guess even he's too tired to bother.

"Welcome," Uncle Steve says with a smile as we enter the field. To his left is a fold out table with protein bars and energy drink on it.

"What is that?" Mr. Stark asks.

"Breakfast," Uncle Steve replies.

"No, that is breakfast for my wife. That is not my breakfast. Where's the coffee?" he asks.

"No coffee this morning."

"Steve, I know you mean well, but that is not proper sustenance," Thor says.

"You can't have a heavy meal before what I have planned," Uncle Steve replies.

"And what do you have planned?" I ask.

"We will start off with a timed three mile run, then we shall have two minutes of pushups, then sit-ups, then crunches, and finally pull-ups. We will need to complete all of this before moving on to the 500 yard swim."

"Ha! Haha! Hahaha! That, my friend, is a hilarious joke," laughs Mr. Stark. He trails off as Steve holds his gaze steadily. "Wait, you're _serious_?"

Uncle Steve nods. "Welcome to the military, Stark."

"I am _never_ joining the military," I whisper under my breath. Unfortunately for me, Uncle Steve has the heightened hearing of a supersoldier.

"Drop and give me twenty!" he yells. Ace has to hold her laugh back. After all, who would want to do twenty push ups on a frigid morning just for stepping out of line briefly?

I'm pretty sure I've never woken up in a worse manner. The run is around a course that changes terrain every thirty feet, and we run through grass, gravel, mud, ice, you name it. Then, once we are all nice and tired, we do two straight minutes of pushups. Then two straight minutes of sit-ups. Then two straight minutes of crunches. Then two straight minutes of pull-ups. And _then,_ when all of my major muscle groups are screaming, we move inside to an unheated pool and have to swim 500 yards in our T-shirts and pants.

Once I climb out of the pool, I'm pretty sure I'm a sit-up away from dying. _I wanna go back to my dream. I liked it better there._ Beside me, Ace just stretches, jogs in place for a few seconds, and looks over at me, cracking a smirk.

"What's wrong? Tired?" I gasp for breath before I answer.

"Well, that's easy for _you_ to say. Aren't you used to this stuff?"

"That's an understatement."

I cough up something that looks suspiciously like the mud we'd run through earlier. "You're having _fun,_ aren't you?"

"Watching you fail? Yep, fun."

By now, Uncle Steve has come over to us. "Ten minute break," he says. "Then we run it again."

Ace sits down on the floor, cross-legged, doing some sort of breathing exercise. I flop down, throw my arm over my eyes, and try not to pass out. _How I wish this could be a dream. _I'm not sure how long I lie there, but it's not long enough. I feel something shoved in my face, and open my eyes, glaring at whoever is doing it. I see a shiny wrapper, and sit up. Ace hands the bar over to me, already munching on one of her own.

"Eat," she commands. "You're gonna need it." I'm too tired to argue.

"Three minutes left!" calls Steve. I groan. Ace's eyes crinkle in a silent smile.

"Exactly how many times are we going to run this?" Mr. Stark asks. Uncle Steve just glares at him. He dutifully shuts up.

Three short minutes later, we're back on the starting line of the running course. I haven't even dried off yet, and it's getting colder as the day goes on. I glance over at Ace. She's crouched and ready to leap forward. I roll my eyes and just concentrate on surviving the next three miles.

To my surprise, Ace keeps pace with me, slowing herself down to run at my side. And when I stumble she doesn't laugh, just catches my arm and hauls me along until I can regain my footing. _What? I thought she was enjoying my failures?_ I don't question the help, though. I need it. She's careful to help me only when Uncle Steve isn't looking, though, and I guess that helping one's partner is frowned upon in military training. During the sit-ups and crunches, she subtly sets her foot on mine, holding it down to ease the work my abs have to do. During the pull-ups she puts her body between me and Steve, shielding my half-finished attempts from his watchful eyes. During the 500 yard swim, she hangs back a little, making my amazing last place seem a little less bad. As my arms nearly give out trying to haul myself out of the pool, she grabs my shirt collar and tugs me up. I collapse on the floor, exhausted. A few seconds later I feel her hand gently shove me into a sitting position.

"Here, try this," she says, demonstrating a simple breathing pattern. I follow her lead, and regain most of my breath in a few minutes. I sigh.

"Thanks, Ace."

She grins. "You looked like you could use a hand."

We're too tired to laugh, but sit the rest of the break out in amicable silence. Seven minutes too soon, it's time to run the whole thing again. I've got no idea how I'll live to see tomorrow, but knowing that Ace is helping me makes it a little less apocalyptic. We leave the relative shelter of the pool building, and into a light snow. It's freezing. Ace sighs in frustration, and I can practically see her teeth chattering. I mean, it's gotta be at least twice as bad for her because her body is so small. I take off my soaked jacket and place it around her shoulders.

"You look like you could use a hand," I say, not unkindly. She grins up at me.

"Thanks, Loki."

"It's the least I could do."

We line up at the starting point and Uncle Steve barks the command to go. _I hope this is the last run._

I walk into the kitchen only wanting a cup of steaming coffee. Mom hands me one. I say a thank you, but soon realize something's wrong. Her face isn't in its morning happy smile, it's in a frown reserved only for when Dad or I do something stupid that worries her.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Alex, have you seen your dad? Or any of the others?" she asks. I look around and find that we are the only ones actually here. No way I woke up before the others, especially Ace and Loki.

"I think Steve was taking them out to train at like four in the morning," Jane says walking in.

"What is this four in the morning of which you speak of?" I ask. Mornings are most certainly not my thing, something I got from Dad. Before they can answer though, Jarvis comes on.

"Ma'am, there is someone at the door," he says. I walk away, coffee in hand, not wanting to be with worried moms at the moment.

I walk to the front door. I do not believe my eyes. Standing outside the glass door, are four people dressed in clothing so not of this era.

The largest one raps a meaty fist on the glass, calling out in a huge voice,

"We are Lady Sif and the Warriors Three! We seek lodging and our brother Thor!"

I open the door and raise an eyebrow.

"And why should I let you in? You could be crazy murderers or something. Just because you say you are here for Thor, give one reason I should believe you," I say taking a drink of coffee.

"He shall vouch for us himself, by Odin's beard!" the lady says. "Fetch him and you shall see!"

"Calm yourself down, Xena," I mutter under my breath before turning away togo get Thor. I motion for them to follow. I lead them to the pool where I'm assuming Steve has taken them, according to Jane.

I walk in to see most of the team dead tired on the floor. Dad looks up and his eyes start to glow. He gets up, walks over, takes my coffee, and goes back to his place on the floor. _Thanks, Dad_. Ace, one exception, is sitting next to Loki, teaching him breathing exercises and Natasha and Clint are talking in the corner.

"Sorry, Steve, but these guys say they need to see Thor," I say pointing to my new followers. Loki and Thor look up. The elder's face lights up like a tree at Christmas.

"Lady Sif and the Warriors Three!" He jumps up and envelops them all in a giant bear hug. I roll my eyes and go over to Loki.

Alex walks over and sits beside me. We smile at each other, but I'm way too tired to say anything at the moment. After three run-throughs of the course, I'm about dead. She nods in understanding and lets me lean against her.

"Poor baby," she whispers in my ear. I can't even nod. Our four visitors come over to where I'm expending the remainder of my life, and stand in a circle around me. I tiredly smile as I recognize them.

"Loki, are you dying?" This comment, from a concerned Volstagg, sends Alex into a fit of laughter. I grimace as my pillow moves.

"I think so, yes," I reply seriously. Lady Sif laughs and whispers something to Hogun. He barks a short chuckle, the most laughing I've ever seen him do.

"What'd you tell him?" I ask. She raises an eyebrow.

"That our old companion found himself a lady-love."

I close my eyes, far too tired to keep them open. "Yep."

Fandral's shout of "Poor Loki!" sends them all into fits of laughter. Lady Sif manages to say, between giggles,

"Well, have no worries. We are here to rescue you from whatever tortures this Steve Rogers has been putting you through."

I open my eyes. This is worth hearing. "Oh?"  
"Yes indeed," Volstagg concurs. "We have been sent by the All-Father himself, bearing tidings of great joy and also great danger."

Thor's face lights up at the latter. "Then come inside, my friends, we have much to speak about! Steve, I am afraid our 'military training' will have to wait until I hear the news from Asgard."

To my surprise, Steve actually nods, dropping his drill-sergeant demeanor. The whole team gets up to walk inside, and the next thing I know I'm on a comfortable couch in dry clothes in a house that has _heat._ I don't wait around to hear the news from Asgard; I'm out within seconds.

We are all sitting around the, what has come to be called, the meeting room. Loki is asleep on the couch, the rest of us just takes seats around the room. Alex brings out a cup of coffee and offers it to me. I take it greatful to have some sort of energy now. When you are Tony Stark, the only thing that actually keeps you going is coffee, something I have passed on to my daughter.

The new guests are around being introduced to the team. Thor finally brings them over to me. I'm sitting down in my chair, and I don't plan on getting up. Alex is sitting at my feet, her own cup of coffee in her hands.

"And this is the Man of Iron, Tony Stark, and his daughter, Alex," Thor says. I nod my head. Alex smiles.

"Ah, yes, Loki's lady-love," the only girl in the group says. I cringe at the word love. _No, it's only a casual interest in the opposite sex_, I correct in my head. I don't bother to say it out loud, though. Alex might take offense.

"What brings you to Midgard, friends?" Big Guy questions. Robin Hood looks over at Jackie Chan and sighs.

"We come bearing news," he repeats. "The All-Father has knowledge of our enemy."

A murmur goes around our group. I can't help but turn to Clint and say,

"See? Now we _do_ have an idea of who we're fighting and we _do _ have an idea of what's going on." He glares at me.

"He has foreseen that the Captain would come to the head of the group, and begin to train the rest," Robin Hood continues, turning to the man that just made the past few hours heck for us. "He sent us to Midgard to aid you in preparing your team for the threat that we will now face."

"What is the threat?" Steve asks, all buisnesslike.

Robin Hood pauses for a moment and when he speaks again his voice is hushed. "Thanos the Destroyer."

The only one who is affected by this strange announcement is Thor. His eyebrows shoot up and his face becomes grim.

"Come now, Fandral," he says uncertainly. "That being is merely a myth."

"Wait! Isn't that the name the freak gave us after he gave Loki his memories and made him change?" I ask, looking around. Everyone takes in a breath as they realize that I'm right.

"You have heard of him?" the large one with the beard asks, clearly concerned.

"I am afraid so, brother," Thor says. "I had forgotten; I did not pay it much heed when it occurred."

The four Asgardians look even grimmer, if possible.

"This is grave news, indeed, Thor," Xena says. "We must hasten our preparations."

"I'm in agreement," I say. It's time to reveal my new weapon. "If you all could follow me, I'll show you something that I think will be of interest."

We all follow Daddy out of the room, into the elevator, and down. I recognize the floor we stop on as his lab. _What...?_ He stands in front of the double doors, announcing dramatically,

"Ladies and gentlemen! A few months ago my daughter injured herself while practicing in one of my old Iron Man suits. She wanted to make herself into a valuable member of this team. Well, I am proud to say..." he draws me forward and throws the doors of his lab open. "...that now she can!"

What I see in the room makes me gasp.

"Oh, Daddy..." I can't say anything else. It's beautiful. Sleek, polished, completely lethal. It's an Iron Man suit. But it's fit for me. It's perfectly my height, and is trimmed or expanded in places for it to be able to fit my figure exactly. I walk over to it, scarcely able to believe my eyes. Of course, it's the details I love the most. You know how my dad's suits are red and gold? Yeah, well. My suit is silver and a bright, blinding, utterly girly, hot pink.


	21. Lady Death

Lady Death

"Thanos of Titan." The words rasp out across the barren landscape as the black cloud begins to form in front of The Destroyer's throne. He grins. She had indeed gotten his message.

"My lady," he says, bowing to the cloud. A body and face materialize from the blackness, becoming the tall, pale figure of a terribly beautiful lady. The Lady Death. The only one Thanos could not impress, even after his past deeds of destruction and evil.

"You summoned me." It's not a question.

"I did, milady. To show you what I am now prepared to do for you."

Death raises an eyebrow. "You have never bothered to show me your plans beforehand, Titan. What is it you have brought me here to beg me for?"

Thanos is momentarily stunned at the Lady's ability to see through his moves as clearly as looking through a crystal. He gathers himself and guides her over to a balcony.

"See for yourself," he says. She looks down at the giant empty field, dotted with a few figures, and turns back to The Destroyer.

"You wish an army."

"I have the generals to lead the troops. I have not the troops for them to lead."

Death circles him, her black mantle swirling and roiling like the cloud she used to transport herself here.

"And what will you give me, Thanos the Titan, in return for the services of the armies of Hel?"

He grins. "In return, milady, I offer you the Nine Realms."

Death is not convinced. "You have failed before, Titan."

Thanos scoffs. "What, the little matter of the broken hearted godling? No, milady, that was an overture, merely a prelude to my master plan. I did not wish the Chitauri interfering with my grand plans."

Death raises a thin eyebrow. "So you sent them on a suicide mission? You knew the Avengers would be able to defeat them and Loki Laufeyson would be taken by them."

The Titan nods. Death's countenance clears a little. "That was a bold move, Titan."

"Now I have the realm of Jotunheim allied to my cause," he says. "They are stronger than the Chitauri ever were. And the godling is safely on Midgard, out of our way. All I await is your army, milady, and the final stoke will be completely ready to fall."

Death is one of the hardest people he has ever bargained with.

"I will give you what you require, Titan," she begins, and he goes down on one knee, preparing to thank her, but she holds up a bony hand. "_if_ you prove to me that the frost giants of Jotunheim are truly as fierce as you say."

Thanos stands again, easily towering over the woman yet dwarfed by her request.

"How would you have me prove that, milady?"

Death steps forward. "Kill one of _them_."

Odin the All-Father sits on his throne. A messenger rushes into the room, barely stopping to clap his right arm to his chest.

"All-Father!" the shout rings through the throne room, startling all but Odin himself. Serving-maids go flying out of the messenger's path, scared by the seriousness written into his face.

"I bring an urgent message from Heimdall."

Odin stands. This is unexpected. "State your business," he says. The messenger takes a breath.

"Heimdall's eye was turned on Jotunheim," he says, his voice beginning to shake slightly as he relays the news. "He has seen that every single frost giant has disappeared from their realm, drawn by an unknown force into a place shielded from even his piercing gaze."

The All-Father sits down, surprised that this new development came so quickly. It seems war is closer than he had expected when he first heard of The Destroyer.

The rest of the team goes back to training after a few minutes, leaving me still staring in awe at my suit. Daddy speaks up.

"So, how does my little girl like her suit?"

"I think Mom will kill you when she finds out, but I LOVE it!" I squeal.

He grins. "Yeah, Pep isn't going to be too happy with you going into battle with us, but I think we should be more than a match for her, yes?" He bumps my shoulder, and I'm reminded of back when I was small and he'd give me something Pepper didn't approve of. We'd always manage to talk her down.

"Just like the racing," I say. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Let's just hope you don't break your leg," he teases. "Ready to learn how to use it?"

"I already do. I'll race you though," I smirk, pressing the button that I've learned opens up the obstacle course. Dad's eyebrows shoot up.

"Well, you were busy weren't you?"

"Loser has to tell Mom about the suit!"

He snaps his fingers, and Jarvis brings over his suit. "You're on! And I have to warn you, I'm not the biggest fan of telling your mother things so I will not be holding back here."

"Didn't expect you to," I reply, allowing my suit to form over my body.

I gladly relinquish control to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, relieved to be one of the soldiers instead of the sergeant. I can tell the others are relieved too. Oh come on, I didn't push them _too_ hard... Anyway, they send us back outdoors, telling us to dress warmly ,and bring our weapons. Once we're all outside, they line us up and stand in front of us like military sergeants.

"The All-Father has sent us to prepare your team for this new threat," the largest one, Volstagg I think, says. "He has some idea of what we will be warring against, and simply wishes the Avengers to be trained in the Asgardian ways of fighting."

"Since there are quite a few of us who already are knowledgeable of this form of battle, we were of the opinion each of us could teach one of you Midgardians how to do battle the proper way," the blonde one says. I still don't know his name. He turns to the rest of his crew and they talk together for a minute, probably deciding who was to train who. After they're done discussing they turn back to us with huge grins. I'm sort of worried- is this how the others felt when I started training them? Oops.

They all walk up to one of us; Lady Sif to Natasha, the blonde to Clint, Thor to Ace, Loki to Banner, and the stern-faced one to me. I hold out my hand amicably.

"Hi. I'm Steve Rogers."

He grips my forearm in some sort of Asgardian greeting. "I am Hogun. Let's begin." _Doesn't say much, does he?_

Over the next hour, I learn more about medieval fighting than I'd ever thought possible. Hogun seems to have an endless supply of knives on his person, and loves throwing them at me in a rain of flashing blades. All I can think is _thank goodness I am the one with the indestructible shield._

After the blonde guy stops talking, he walks over to me. _Robin Hood much? _is all I can think. He looks me over.

"Well, umm..." is all I can say. Who is this guy?

"I am Fandral of Asgard," he proclaims grandly, as if I should be impressed. I raise an eyebrow.

"Have you not heard tales of my exploits and many lovers?" He seems genuinely confused. I sigh.

"Sir, I have not heard anything about you ever. And if you don't mind me saying, I don't exactly see how you're such a good warrior when all you do is talk." Fandral puts a hand to his heart, dumbstruck.

"I, sir, am one of the fiercest fighters of Asgard."

I roll my eyes. "Not seeing it." My training partner narrows his eyes. He dramatically pulls out a long thin sword and attacks me. Not having time to draw an arrow, I couter his overhead strike with my bow, deflecting it and rushing in to punch him hard on the chin. His sword moves like lightning, though, and before I am able to hit him its point is at my throat.

"Now, Clint Barton of Midgard, are you 'seeing it?'"

I smile. _This is going to be good_. I kick him in the chest. He stumbles away from me, hitting the ground. He looks up at me, startled. I'm able to draw and release an arrow in that moment. It shivers in the ground right next to his head.

"Nope, sorry. Still not seeing it." He chuckles after a second.

"Excellent, Midgardian. Now help me up and I'll show you how to avoid ever getting yourself in that situation ever again."

I bend down and help him up. In a second he's at my throat with his sword again. I'd foreseen this, though, and have him flipped around with my bow string around _his_ throat in the next moment. He laughs heartily this time.

"You, sir, are a fast learner for one of your race."

The only lady walks over taking her place in front of me. We lock eyes, but say nothing. She's mine.

"I am Lady Sif of Asgard," she says after a few seconds.

"Alright, Lady Sif. I'm Agent Romanoff of Ready-To-Kick-Your-Asgardian-Butt, incorporated."

Sif laughs, reaching back and pulling out a shield and a spear that grows longer in her grasp.

"I have a feeling you and I are going to be friends," she says, swinging her spear directly at my heart. I dodge it and come up into a round kick that should have knocked the wind out of her, but instead my shin meets her shield, sending shudders of pain up my leg.

"Oh really?"

She shoves my leg aside and tries to spear me again. "Yes. We are just alike, you and I."

I grab her spear, using it to vault over her head and land, pointing the gun I'd grabbed in midair at her.

"I'm not seeing it."

She slams her shield into my shooting arm, knocking the gun down.

"Maybe I can knock some sense into you," she says, advancing with her spear. I grin.

"I'd like to see you try, ma'am."

I stride over to Doctor Banner nervously, not really wanting to fight him. The only memory I really have of fighting him from before is of him repeatedly slamming me into the ground and laughing in my face. Not really eager to relive that.

"So...I'm supposed to help you learn how to fight the Asgardian way," I say.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Loki," he says, nervously looking around the open field. I can tell he's sizing everything up, making sure he won't destroy much if he changes. I know he has to be angry to change, though, and he's gotta be trained in his 'Other Guy' form. I'm pretty sure the Hulk would love a chance to beat me into the ground again, but how to get him to change? I got it. I circle him, letting my voice go like honey as I used to do back when I had the gift of a silver tongue.

"Just thought I'd let you know, Alex and I stopped for the night during the road race. Guess what happened," I say with a smirk. He looks at me wide eyed. He starts getting taller and his skin starts going a green color. Now I'm in for it.

He lets out a roar as he changes, but once that's done, he charges for me. I stand still, waiting. He smashes right through my hologram, sending it scattered in gold particles. I'm glad that wasn't really me. I take a deep breath and yell at the top of my lungs,

"Over here you ugly green monster!"

He turns, and a sea of Lokis meet his small eyes. He stops in confusion.

"Come on now, Doctor Banner," I say, the sound coming from the holograms' mouths as well. "You've gotta be able to beat this. Which one is me?"

In response he smashes through all my carefully planted illusions, catching me with the back of one huge hand. I fly through the air, and the only thought I'm aware of is _wow. Who said we needed to train this guy again? He's fine. _I get up, shaking my head to clear it, and cast another illusion of Lokis circled around him.

"Here we go again," I mutter to myself as he roars in rage.

I stand in front of the small Midgardian girl who had trained for two weeks with my brother. I'd only seen her fight once, and I am convinced of her marksmanship as well as her fighting skills. But she still needs to be trained to stand up to things like Frost Jotuns and whatever else Thanos the Destroyer is sure to come up with.

"So, Mr. Hammer, what are we doing today?" she asks. I laugh.

"You are an insolent little Midgardian, aren't you?" I don't expect her reaction.

"You're calling me little?" she questions, her voice taking on an edge. "Put down that hammer and let's go a few rounds."

I set down my hammer, not able to resist the challenge. I've no doubt that I can win easily, and have just resolved to go easy on the small lady, when I find my feet swept out from under my body. I fall to the floor and my arm is twisted behind me. A voice speaks in my ear.

"Still so high and mighty?"

Volstagg's laugh rolls out from where he sits. I frown and stand up.

"Very good, Lady Ace. I suppose you won't be needing any more lessons from this god of thunder?'

She rolls her eyes. "Of course I will, idiot. That was just...proving a point. Let's go!"

The Destroyer looks down at the five Jotuns ringed around his throne. Their leader, Laufey, stands up and gazes at his king with inscrutable red eyes.

"We have come, sire. What is your command?"

The harsh laughter grates on the frost giants' ears.

"In order to obtain our army from the Lady Death, she has ordered us to prove ourselves. So my orders to you, my faithful mercenaries, are to go down to Midgard, find the team known as the _Avengers,_ and kill one of their number. It matters not who."

A smile as icy as his dagger spreads across Laufey's countenance. He knows exactly which member of the team he and his four companions will target. He'll make sure the last thing the boy sees is his father's- his _real_ father's- face.

We all exit the elevator, talking about how the day went. We follow Thor into the meeting room where he stops in his tracks, forcing us to all quickly put on the brakes to avoid a major pile up. We all crane our necks trying to see what's going on, but the screaming gives me an idea.

"Anthony Stark! What in the world is wrong with you? What were you thinking?" Pepper screams. I look over at Alex standing there, the biggest smirk on her face.

"Umm... well... you see... I thought it best to make her a suit so she wouldn't hurt herself in mine again..." Mr. Stark stutters.

"And when she goes out into battle? You don't think it's dangerous?" Pepper questions.

"Well, yes, but-"

"But nothing! You are by far the most irresponsible father on this planet! You can't let an eighteen year old girl go off into battles with space monsters! NO! I forbid it! She will NOT be going!"

"Mom-"

"Alex, stay out of this." Alex puts her hands up, but keeps her smirk.

"I let you take her racing one year, and she broke her leg. Now, you want to take her out to fight? She could DIE, Tony! Why would you put her in that kind of danger?" Pepper asks, tears forming in her eyes.

"Pepper, listen to me. Our daughter has a mind of her own. If I didn't make the suit, she would sneak out in one of mine and most certainly get herself killed. At least this way, she has some sort of protection," Mr. Stark says.

Pepper goes quiet then. Alex's smirk falls as she takes a couple of steps back.

"I almost lost you the last time you saved the world. I can't lose both of you." She lets the tears fall. Mr. Stark pulls her into an embrace, trying to comfort the hysterical woman.

A cool hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me out into the hall. Alex turns me to face her.

"Sorry, I just needed to get out of there," she whispers.

"Hmm..." I murmur pulling her close to me. Her arms wrap around my waist. "How about I get you out of the Tower?"

"Ooh?" she says. "And take me where?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about lunch?" I ask looking down into her violet eyes.

"Loki Odinson, are you asking me on a date?" she asks with that smirk.

"I do believe I am, Alex Stark." We smile at each other.

"Lunch? When do we leave?" Ace's voice cuts through our moment, forcing us to break apart. Looking at her face, I don't have the heart to tell her she can't come. I look over at Alex. She nods, but doesn't look too happy.

"Let me get my purse," she says, turning to walk away. "You owe me big time," she mutters before she leaves.

"One perfect date," I nod. "That's what I owe you, and I never let a debt go."

Ace, Loki, and I walk down the New York street. I shift my purse slightly on my shoulder. The big bag is heavier than normal, on account of the folded up Iron Man suit in it. I nudge Loki in the shoulder as we approach a hot dog stand.

"Hot dogs?" I ask. "That's your idea of a lunch?"

He grins. "When you have your little sister along, yes." I roll my eyes.

"Really? That's all you could come up with?" I ask.

"Oh, I had another idea but I'm saving it," he replies.

"Ooh?" I say. "Fine, hot dogs it is."

Ace catches up with us, putting on a serious face. "What, the Dog of Hot? I have never heard of it."

"It's an American thing," I say. "You wouldn't understand. They're good though."

She grins. "I know. I was just being Thor." I roll my eyes again. I wish she would have just stayed home.

"Good impression," Loki says, giving her a thumbs-up.

"You two are impossible." I smile, walking up to the vendor. "Hi."

"Hello, Miss Stark." It's a little creepy, really, but when your face gets on the front of Time magazine with your family, what can you expect?

"Umm... three hot dogs, please," I say. I hate being nice to strangers. Loki pays, though, which makes things a little better.

"At least you remembered to do that," I tease him.

"Oh, please, Alex. Give me _some_ credit."

"Bringing your little sister along on a date gets you absolutely no credit at all," I reply. He mock-frowns at me.

"Just eat your food," he says insolently.

"Are you going to make me?" I ask with a smirk. He shakes his head.

"Not with Ace here, but it'd be nice to know my money isn't being wasted." I smile and kiss his cheek.

"Only for you, babe."

"That's the best _you_ can come up with?" Ace asks incredulously. I glare at her.

"I'd like to see you come up with better."

"Alright, I will." She turns to Loki and bats her eyelashes exaggeratedly. "Oh, Loki! I love you so much that I'd eat my Oreos backwards for you," she says in a high falsetto. We both glare at her, but make no reply. We walk a little way into a small park, eating our food in silence. It's a beautiful afternoon- cool, crisp, with the trees just about to change color. The sky is a nice stormy grey with flashes of blue lightning dancing around in- _wait. _What the-?

The wind picks up just then, growing in intensity until it practically howls. A funnel cloud begins swirling in the middle of the lightning storm, and I turn to Loki.

"What the _heck_ is that?" I scream over the wind. He's turned pale.

"It's something coming from another realm," he replies, barely audible over the wind. The funnel cloud touches down, and a brief flash of blue comes from its middle. Loki turns to me.

"Suit up, Alex. I have no idea who this is."

I reach into my purse and pull out the small briefcase, setting it on the ground and punching my arms into it. I fit the center onto my chest, and the armor begins crawling down my skin. By the time my visor snaps over my face, Ace and Loki are ready for combat. We advance towards the clearing dust, weapons at the ready.

Five tall figures stand in the middle of an intricate design stamped on the ground in black. They're huge- well over seven feet- with blue skin and glowing red eyes. I gulp as I remember designing a few for the training scenarios I'd put Ace and Loki through. Frost giants. Beside me, Loki freezes. I face him.

"Loki...? What's wrong?"

I get my answer a second later as the tallest one comes forward, laughing.

"Hello, Loki. It's been a long time, don't you think? Far too long for a father to go without seeing his son."

_So this is Loki's dad. Well, now I know why he never took me home to meet the family. _

We back up as the five giants advance. Giant icy weapons grow from their very hands, daggers, maces, and swords glinting in the cold sunlight. I am the first one to take a stand, sending a blast of pure energy straight through one of the giants' chests. He disappears in a pile of dust. _Whoa._ These weapons _work._ Unfortunately, that's when all heck breaks loose. All four of the remaining giants charge, the leader at Loki, one at Ace, and the other two- gulp- at _me._ I take off, diving around them and firing, trying to take aim while the whole world is tilting crazily. It's a lot harder than it looks. I find a new respect for my dad. He makes it look so easy! I only manage to wound one before I am caught by the leg and dragged to the ground. Both of them hold me down, my thrusters at full power doing nothing to free me from their icy grips. _I hope Ace and Loki are having better luck. _

Looking over, I see Ace and the other giant fighting. He's already loaded with about ten arrows, and has a net thrown over his head that slows him down considerably. He can still give her a run for her money though, and she's still trying to avoid his huge ice club. I glance around, trying to see where Loki is. He's locked in a wrestling match for control of the leader's icy dagger. It's almost like a tennis match- now the father has the upper hand, now the son. As their arms struggle for the knife, blue begins creeping up Loki's skin until I'm looking at two frost giants battling. It's a horrifying sight.

Behind Loki, Ace cries out as the giant rips her quiver from her back and hurls it away. She scrambles backwards and her hands find a large rock. Throwing it with the aim of a true archer, she is able to render her opponent unconscious. But Loki had turned his attention to her for one moment when she'd first screamed, and that had spelled disaster for him. Now the leader of the frost giants has the dagger, and he forces Loki to his knees, the sharp ice held across his throat.

"Loki!" I scream. I redouble my efforts to get out of the giants' grasps, but they hold me all the tighter. That leaves Ace. I've lost sight of her, so I turn my gaze back to Loki. Tears stream down my eyes under my mask as the leader leans down, whispers something in Loki's ear, and readies his dagger to stab my Asgardian hero through the heart. Loki turns his head and locks eyes with me. I can see it in slow motion. The dagger moves towards his back. He closes his red eyes. And then- he's shoved out of the way. _What? _The dagger still pierces flesh though, and I can hear someone cry out in pain. Next thing I know, a frantic Loki is kneeling beside Ace, the icy dagger sticking out of the part where her right arm meets her chest. The leader looks surprised, but stands up. He motions to his goons, and they release me. I jump up and take off my mask, running over to where Ace lies.

She's in worse shape than I thought- the dagger must have hit her lung. She's gasping for breath and I can tell that the lung has collapsed. If we don't get her to the hospital or Stark Tower soon, she will die. Loki reaches for the dagger, but I stop him.

"Don't do that, it'll make it worse." He's going into shock, frantically smoothing her hair back and repeatedly murmuring something that sounds like,

"No, no don't go! Stay with me, Ace, stay with me!"

I take his hand and squeeze it. He looks up at me, tears forming in his red eyes. Ace coughs once, opening her lips as if to say something. Both of us bend over to hear her. She grins weakly and says something that breaks my heart.

"Sorry...sorry I ruined...your date."

I shake my head vehemently. "Don't be stupid," I say. "It was never ruined! Just hold on..."

She shakes her head. "I'm...just...so cold." Those are her last words. The icy blue eyes flutter closed. Loki takes in a breath and lets out a scream of pure rage and grief. The two giants who had held me down pick up their unconscious comrade and the sky begins to roil again. The leader says,

"We've done our work. Lady Death will be pleased with her new soldier. I believe she's wanted an archer for a long time."

He steps back into the cloud, a blue flash lights up the scene, and they're gone.

Thanos sits back in his throne, facing Lady Death. She grins a terrible grin.

"Well done, my Titan. You have proven yourself as I asked. You shall have your army."


	22. Welcome To The Family

**Authors' Note: **We appreciate the reviews from our last chapter! It was nice to know how much you guys loved Ace :) Took us awhile buuut this one's finally done. So...just...don't worry, this story is all going according to a well-organized, thought out plan. Just sayin'. Even if it seems arbitrary. Hope you enjoy!

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**Welcome To The Family **

I watch in gathering panic as Loki goes deeper into shock, his voice growing hysterical as he pleads with Ace not to be dead. I close my eyes tightly, willing it all to be a dream. But when I open them again Ace is still there, her head cradled in Loki's lap, his blue hands running across her face in a frantic attempt to bring his sister back to life. He puts two fingers under her jaw, checking for a pulse. The way he lowers his head to hers and the silent sobs that rack his frame tell me that he's found none. I bow my head and put a hand on his shoulder, allowing a single tear to fall in respect to the little archer I'd come to love. I didn't even know how much of a place she'd occupied in my heart before she died and it was taken out. We sit there under the still-storming sky, bent over the body of our friend.

The sound of a big object hitting the ground to our right breaks my reverie. I look up to see the towering figure of Thor, walking over to where we're sitting. He drops to his knees beside us, putting a huge palm on Loki's other shoulder. Loki looks up, his red eyes still filled with tears.

"What is wrong, little brother?" Thor asks tenderly. Loki can't answer, so I speak up finally.

"She- she's dead, Thor."

He pushes me aside, checking over the girl's face and vital signs. As he feels for her pulse, a grin spreads across his face. I glance over at Loki in confusion. His face has lit up in the hope that his brother sees something that he doesn't. Thor says something to him, and he stands up quickly, backing away in horror with the same expression on his face that he wore when he got all his memories back. Thor motions him away, and I catch the words _stand back._ He moves over to me, pulling me farther back as Thor begins whirling his hammer over his head. Lightning begins brewing in the sky, arcing through the clouds in flashes of bluish light. Thor lifts his hammer and brings it to earth next to Ace's body. A small tongue of lightning comes down, hitting her square in the chest. Loki rushes back over to her side, placing his head close to her heart, straining his ears for a heartbeat. I come slowly, half afraid of him not hearing one.

_Th-thump._

I don't hear the faint sound, but the way Loki's face lights up tells me there's still a chance of his teammate living. Thor smiles, gently takes her in his arms, his huge forearms dwarfing her small frame. He twirls his hammer again, creating a whirlwind, and takes off, carrying Ace back to the Tower. I loop my arm in Loki's. He watches them go, his skin fading back to its normal pale cream color. I squeeze his arm gently.

"They'll make it in time," I say. He takes a deep breath and I can feel the shudder go through his body as he suppresses his tears. The green eyes that turn to me look as if half the world has been heaped into their emerald depths.

"I hope," he says, struggling to keep his voice steady. I smile, hug him, and flip my visor back down.

"Well, let's go see. Hold on tight." He understands and wraps his arms around my waist. I push the thrusters to their full capacity and we take off, streaking towards the Tower through the sky.

The way Tony comes into my room does not bode well. I've only seen his face this serious when something really bad has happened. I stand up immediately, every nerve on the alert.

"What's wrong, Stark?"

His eyes fall. I cross the room in two strides and find myself grabbing his shoulders shaking him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's about your daughter..." he trails off, but I'm already running down the hallway.

"Medical wing," he calls after me. I don't stop to thank him but burst through the door to the stairs. The elevator would take too long. I leap down the stairs five at a time, practically falling out of the door to the 66th floor. Not stopping for breath, I tear down the hallway, scattering unused medical equipment as I go. I find Nat already standing outside a closed door. I consider just kicking the handle in but she stops me.

"They had to operate," she says, her voice tense and worried. I wrap my arms around her, trying to offer some comfort while looking into the white room. Our little girl lies on a steel table, a mask over her face and an IV dripping into her arm. Doctor Banner is working over her shoulder with his back to us. I turn back to Nat and we just stand out in the hallway, holding each other. About an hour later, we're sitting with our backs to the grey wall, exhausted from the strain of the past sixty minutes. She's the first one asleep- and I soon follow, letting the stress take its toll.

When I wake up, the shadows have shifted in the medical wing, letting me know a few hours have easily passed. I snap to attention and look over. The door to the operating room is open. I shake Natasha, and her red curl shift as her head lifts from my shoulder. She sees the open door and leaps up, running inside. I follow suit. I nearly run into my wife- she's stopped in her tracks just inside the doorway. I look over her shoulder and see what's stopped her.

A figure sits in a chair, slumped over onto the hospital bed. I inhale sharply as I realize it's Loki. His body is folded over, his head resting on the bed next to her hip. The arm that used to carry the scepter that controlled my mind is stretched out, holding on to my little girl's hand. Natasha hisses under her breath and walks over to the boy, shaking him roughly. As soon as he stirs, she grabs him by the hair and hauls his face up to hers.

"Get. Out." the words are coated in ice. I almost go forward to defend Loki, but I don't. This new development has gotten under my skin. Loki sits up, looking scared of the angry mother he's facing. I don't blame him. His face betrays his confusion.

"I won't say it again," Nat grinds out. "Get away from my daughter."

The boy rises to defend himself. "I wasn't-"

"Leave." He gets up, looking like he's been slapped, and slowly backs out of the small room. Natasha sits on the edge of the bed, gently smoothing the auburn curls from Ace's face.

"Privet, malyutka. Prosnutʹsya. Eto matʹ."

The whispered words twist my heart. I reach out and stop Loki just as he's about to leave.

"We need to talk," I say. His gaze falls to the floor and he nods slowly. I take him out into the hallway, shutting the door behind me.

"So, what happened?" I ask. He swallows before responding.

"She took a dagger for me, sir."

I can't say anything. There's nothing to say. I just nod, feeling my back meet the wall. I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to make sense of this new information. I'd had no idea Ace had grown so close to this ex-supercriminal that she'd take a knife for him. Eventually, I look up and see that Loki has averted his gaze and is staring at the floor again. I reach out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I can tell Ace really cares about you," I begin. He meets my eyes, their green depths full of concern for my daughter. I give a small smile. "I can see you really care about her too..." Loki nods. "So...well, all I can say is...welcome to the family."

Thanos the Destroyer stands above the wastelands, looking out over his army. The dead, native to Hel, are truly a fearsome sight to behold. The soldiers are from all eras, bearing weapons that range from muskets to spears to machine guns. Their skin is patchy at best and nonexistent at worst, revealing horrible greenish skulls. Their only method of communication is their chattering teeth, and the sharp clacking fills the plain. The jotuns head the companies, hitting their icy spears against their bare chests and howling for blood.

The Destroyer raises a hand, and immediately silence falls across the massive army.

"My armies," he begins, his voice carrying over the ranks. Motley cheers can be heard, but are quickly cut off as he raises his other arm.

"Tonight we are gathered here in our full strength! None dare oppose the combined armies of Thanos the Destroyer and the Lady Death! Tonight, we give our enemies one last night of peace! But tomorrow! Tomorrow we give them a reason to fear the slightest shadow! Tomorrow we paint the very houses of our enemies with the blood of their heroes! Tomorrow we ride for ruin! We ride for death! And the end of the world! Tomorrow we ride for Midgard!"


	23. In Time

**Author's Note: **Well, actually, this is just from J3n. To our one reviewer who was a little mad at Nat...sorry, I kinda have to defend one of my favorite characters... :P She's scared stupid for her little girl's life, and so she's kind of reverted to the spy mentality of potential threats/eliminating said threats and Loki had the unfortunate (if well-meant) position of being closer to her child than she did. So...we were going for worried/over protective mama bear in this scene...did we come close? Or was she just being a jerk? Haha I really wanna know now :) Let us know! Thanks!

Now from both of us: the Russian (honestly, we used google translate so...sorry for all you who speak Russian and were offended with the unprofessional translation) that Natasha speaks to Ace in the last chapter roughly translates to "Hello, little one. Wake up. Its mother." So now y'all know why it 'twisted' Clint's heart. D'aww. :)

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**In Time**

"For the millionth time, Daddy, I do _not_ need to be in the suit right now! I'm trying to make this fighting style my own, and the only stuff I need is me, myself, and I!"

"Alex, the only thing you need is to learn to use the suit as protection. It's the only thing between you and our enemies. You would be killed without it. Do you think I want to see my little girl die? And what about Pepper and Loki? What would they do?" he replies.

"What if the suit loses power and I need to get out of it? I'll be a sitting duck if I can't fight without it," I say.

"You'll be a sitting duck even if you can fight! It's metal, it can take the hit of an ice weapon or bullets, flesh can't!" he responds. I roll my eyes. He's so over dramatic.

"Daddy!" I stop him. "I need to learn how to fight _without_ the suit so I can be really good _in_ the suit!"

"Fighting in the suit will make you great! You need to train in it!"

"No! I will not, and you can't make me!"

I stalk off to another, separate, part of the lab where Daddy can't interrupt. He doesn't get it. He's just fueled by fear. I'll be fine. As I begin to practice, without the suit, my heart sinks. I've never gone off like that. He's just trying to protect me. But, he's wrong. I need to learn without the suit, and nothing he says can change that. I lose myself in the familiar fighting motions, trying to forget what's just happened between us.

Clint goes back into the room after welcoming me into his family. I'm a little stunned that he's accepted me as a brother to his little girl, and a little put off by the fact that his wife seems to blame me for the actions of her daughter. Still, I reason with myself, her anger was probably born from all the stress laid on her shoulders. I decide not to hold it against her too much, and wander back upstairs. I have someone I need to talk to.

"Come in," Uncle Steve calls when I knock on his door. I open it and walk into the slightly messy room. When he looks up and sees me he shuts the book he was reading and spins his desk chair to face me. I sit on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. Now that I'm here I don't know what to say.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I nod my head, but still can't find the words to say. Uncle Steve understands, and finally breaks the silence.

"I had a really good friend once, too." The simple words carry the weight of years of emotion behind them.

I look up.

"His name was Bucky. We'd grown up together." Uncle Steve laughs, and I can see his eyes going back into the good old days. "We both met in the army a few years later, after I'd gotten...enhanced. One mission we went on...well...he was hanging from a broken train door a mile or two above the ground. We were racing along the side of a mountain. I tried to save him, but-" here he cuts off, the memories too strong. He lowers his head. "You're really lucky, kiddo. Your friend is still alive. I couldn't save mine in time."

I let out a breath. "Thanks, Uncle Steve."

"Anytime, Loki."

After my conversation with Loki, I go back into the small room where my wife is still sitting by our daughter. She sits with an erect posture, a sure sign that she's under loads of stress right now. Her childhood training is coming back to her. I stand behind her and place a gentle hand on her shoulder. She closes her eyes and leans back against me, gladly accepting the support. I look down at her face and see the single crystalline tear making its way down her cheek. My hand tightens and I reach over to wipe it away. She holds my hand there for a second. There's nothing to be said- we know each other too well. We stay there for a long time, basking in the simple fact that our family is together again. We've survived worse- and we'll rebuild from this too.

Spending a few restless hours in the living room of Stark Tower is not my definition of soothing after a big shock. Both Alex and Pepper seem to think that wrapping me in blankets and feeding me hot chocolate will fix things. It doesn't. Not that I'm complaining- Mrs. Stark can make a good cup of chocolate- but the need to see my teammate is nearly overwhelming. I see Ace's parents come out into the living room, stopping briefly for her dad to let Steve know they're not dead even if they look it. He nods and they go off somewhere to be alone. I glance briefly over at him as they leave. He nods once and I silently slip out of the room. Once I've gotten out, I fly down the stairs to the 66th floor, stopping only a few steps before her door. I quietly open it, already knowing what I'll see. My fighting partner, the one who I'd come to trust with my life, my little sister, lying unconscious in a hospital bed because of me. I walk over to her, drawing up the small chair next to the bed and putting my head in my hands. I hadn't been able to talk the last time I'd come in here, just took her hand and passed out from pure relief at her being alive. So now, even though she can't hear me, I have to get the words out.

"Hi, Ace. Well, here we are again, right?" I do my best to sound bright and cheerful, but my words echo hollowly back to me. I don't like the feel of the tear that starts to escape my eye. "You know, you've got some serious points in my book," I continue. "You're the only one I know who can make me cry without saying a word." I take a shaky breath. "Well...I just wanted to let you know...that thing that you did back there, taking Laufey's dagger for me...that was...I mean...no one's ever offered to do something like that for me." My voice finally cracks on the last word and I try to blink back the gathering tears. "Just...do me a favor...and don't be dead. Please, Ace. Stop this. It's not...not right." I reach out and take her cold hand, willing her to wake up and tell me to stop being stupid. She doesn't. I stop trying to hold back the tears- after all, the only one who would yell at me for crying is lying beside me, dead to the world. I grip her hand tighter and press my face into the blanket, simply hiding from the world. Once I've expended the tears I've got left (not many), I just sit there, not having the will to move.

A large hand envelops my shoulder. I slowly draw my head up to face Thor. His stormy blue eyes travel my face, and finally come to rest at my hand entwined in my partner's. The stoic mask he always wears softens the smallest bit, a rarity for my brother. He silently pulls over a chair and sits across the bed, looking alternately between me and Ace.

"She has a warrior's spirit," he says. "What she did was one of the bravest things I've seen on Midgard. I owe her the life of my brother." I nod, allowing a small smile to show. He sits back. There's not much else to say. The question that's been eating at me ever since Thor brought her back finally makes its way out of my mouth.

"Thor?"

"Yes, brother?"

"You said I-" I stop, take a breath to compose myself, and continue slowly. "You said I...I froze her."

My older brother leans forward and rests his elbows on the edge of the bed. "Loki, you did. You turned the very blood in her veins to ice."

I let go of my teammate's hand, throwing it back down on her stomach as if it bit me.

"Can I still...?" I can't voice the rest of the question but the unspoken words pass between us. _Can I still freeze her blood? Can I still make her pulse stop? Do I still have the power that belongs to a monster from a fairy tale? _

"Nay, brother. It was only because you were in the form of a Jotun that you were able to freeze her." I breathe a silent sigh of relief, but just as quickly, guilty thoughts deluge my mind. If I had only been in human form- then I could have prevented myself from further hurting my sister. If only-

I am cut off by Thor reaching over the bed and gently lifting my chin up.

"You blame yourself for causing her more harm." It's a statement of fact rather than a question. I turn my eyes away.

"I did."

Thor chuckles gently. "But brother, for all your intelligence you are wrong. Do you not see?"

I look back up into the eyes I've known and trusted for the past twelve years. They shine brightly back at me, full of brotherly concern.

"You were the very one who saved her life."

_What?_

My complete and utter confusion must have shown on my face because Thor elaborates.

"The lady had a collapsed lung and was losing much blood, Loki. If you had not stopped its flow she would have most likely bled out her existence through her wound. Because you froze her pulse you saved her life. I was able to thaw her with the lightning bolt, and if it was not for you she would have bled to death before I could fly her back to Stark Tower."

I sit in shock for a few seconds.

"See, brother?" Thor says gently. "Your powers can indeed be used for good. You are not evil as you believe yourself to be."

I nod slowly. _You're really lucky, kiddo. Your friend is still alive. I couldn't save mine in time. _Uncle Steve's words come back to me. I'd saved my teammate. Hopefully in time.

"Thank you, Thor." My brother looks up at me again.

"You are welcome, brother. Will you come down to dinner?"

"No."

He just nods in understanding, getting up and silently closing the door behind him. I let out a breath, run my hand through my hair, and turn back to Ace. I take her hand again, wrapping my fingers around the small wrist and feeling the blood pump weakly but steadily through the veins. It's a good feeling.

Around lunchtime, Daddy and I take a break. He goes out to grab some food from Pepper and I stay behind, slowly drinking a glass of cool water after my morning's workout. I'm really starting to progress in this fighting stuff- honestly, I feel like I could take on, oh I don't know, Mr. Miyagi or someone. Seriously. I'm getting good. Almost ready to start integrating the suit into my movements. Actually, I was planning on doing that right after lunch. You know, proving my dear daddy wrong and all. Once I show him my newly acquired skills, he'll see things from my point of view for sure.

The door bangs open, and Daddy comes back through bearing a tray of something that smells like Chinese takeaway. I hop up on his worktable like I used to do when I was small, crossing my legs and holding out my hand for the chopsticks. Instead, a rolled up magazine plops down in my palm.

"Take a look at that, girlie," Dad says, setting down the tray between us. (I was right, it's Chinese.) I unroll the paper, secretly stealing his Dr. Pepper, and the headline that greets me nearly sends me falling off the bench in surprise.

_**New York has a new heroine- Iron Ma'am**_

"What?" I laugh. The soda nearly bubbles up my nose as I crack up. On the front cover of the tabloid magazine is a full-blown picture of me in a pretty kick-butt pose, ready to leap into battle with a frost giant.

"I've got a _tabloid nickname?_" I ask in amazement.

"Way to go, Alex," Dad smirks. We both have a good laugh over it as we eat our teriyaki chicken and slurp the miso soup. When we get down to the fortune cookies, I crack open mine and squint to read the small print.

_You will expand your horizons and impress many._

The textbook fortune amazes me with how close it got to the truth. I show my dad and he falls over laughing. I sniff in disdain, sliding off the table and brushing imaginary dirt from my shoulder.

"If you would have the grace to maintain your composure in the presence of Iron Ma'am," I snark at my still-giggling father. He draws himself up and puts a horrible poker face on.

"Why of course, my dear. I had no intention to offend."

"Thank you, good sir." I turn on my heel and stride away, nearly making it to my suit before I break down laughing. I pull myself up and into the suit, enjoying the familiar feel of armor strapping itself to my skin. My visor snaps down, and Dad calls out,

"Hold up! You're supposed to wait 30 minutes after you eat before doing any activities!"

I lift my visor up, blow him a huge raspberry, and slam it back down. "Just watch and learn, old-timer!" He puts a hand to his heart.

"Old-timer? You offend me."

I do a facepalm because he can't see me roll my eyes. "Just watch. Here's how you _fight _in an Iron Man suit."

I throw an experimental punch to a brick that's set up in front of me. The suit magnifies my actions and the cinder block is split neatly in half. I turn to my dad.

"See?"

He looks unconvinced. I grin under my armor. _Still don't believe? _I launch into an impressive display of fighting moves and flips, each of my movements increased to a scale that no human could ever hope to match. I go down to a crouch, snap up into a high jump kick, and end with my arms folded across my chest.

My dad's mouth is hanging open. "Wow, Alex. That was just...wow!"

I flip my visor up so he can see my smirk. "Tol'ja."

He grins self-deprecatingly. "Sorry, honey. Hey, you think you can teach me some of that..." he trails off, moving his arms wildly in an attempt to convey the concept of my fighting moves. I smile.

"Sure thing, Daddy."

The afternoon passes slowly, with Verusha's parents visiting her in the hospital room and the rest of us not really feeling like talking. This new development has shaken all of us. Pepper and Alexandra are fussing over Loki, making sure the boy recovers from his earlier shock. After dinner, Clint and Natasha come back up from the recovery room. They look like death, and I don't blame them. I'd had to operate on their daughter's arm and lung, and I'm still not quite recovered from seeing exactly how much damage she was willing to take for Loki.

I seem to be the only one who can't get to bed, and so I find myself wandering downstairs after finishing my book on astrophysics. It's really such an interesting subject. The living room window spot is already taken, though, and as I walk further into the room I see it's Jane.

"Trouble sleeping, Doc?"

The quietly voiced question nearly makes me jump out of my skin.

"Oh, um, yes actually. And you?"

She turns around. "Yeah, I guess I'm just...shaken up."

"I don't blame you. You've had quite a day."

She nods slowly and turns back to look outside. "Plus, I saw this from my bedroom window and decided it was worth a look-see."

I go over to the picture window. The sky is roiling, with arcs of lightning dancing inside of the black clouds. As we watch it, the wind starts picking up until it's practically screaming around Stark Tower. I'm waiting for the rain to start falling, but even after a quarter of an hour it doesn't. The lightning storm gets more intense, though.

"What _is_ that?" I whisper. Jane shakes her head.

"I don't know, Doc. It's not like anything I've ever seen. And that scares me."

We both turn back, looking out into the stormy night.

I wake up to the sound of a very loud thunderclap. My arm is asleep, still gripping Ace's hand tightly. I move it, a little painfully, and try to massage some of the feeling back into it. While I'm nursing my arm, I look out the window. Outside, the wind is howling and the thunder is rumbling in a full-blown gale. But there's no rain. _That's weird._ I stir my legs, getting up and stretching. Another flash of lightning arcs across the heavens, followed by a deafening ring of thunder. I glance over at my companion. _There's no way she's staying in here tonight. I'd hate for her to have to wake up to this storm. Nope, I'll stay here just in case._ As if to concur, my stomach growls. I groan. Of course. I haven't eaten a thing since Pepper and Alex force-fed me hot chocolate. I look back at Ace. _Be right back. Do me a favor and don't wake up till then, okay?_ I leave the room, silently closing the door, and slip off down the hallway in search of some sustenance, as my brother would call it.

All the lights are off in Stark Tower. It must be nighttime, then? I use my magic to summon a simple glowing orb to light my way, not wanting to disturb anyone. By its dim light, I'm able to read a passing clock. _11:00._ Yeah, well, still hungry. I climb the stairs hurriedly, coming out into the living room. I walk over to the kitchen and find it bare of food except for a plate covered in foil at the end of the counter. Curious, I go over to it. There's a note.

_Brother, I know that you will be staying with your friend a long time. I am proud of you- it is a noble thing to do. The Lady Pepper was cooking this tonight and I recognised it as your favorite food. May it grant you sustenance in your vigils. _

_ Your brother, _

_ Thor Odinson_

I smile in the dark kitchen, lifting the edge of the foil a little bit. Sure enough, the smell of homemade lasagna wafts out to greet my nose. My stomach flip-flops in anticipation of the home-cooked meal. I rifle through the drawers, find a fork, and make my way back down to the 66th floor. I manage to restrain myself from shoving my face into the plate and eating like a wild animal during the trip back, and finally- _finally_- get to eat when I'm safely back in the hospital room.

Once I've finished the delicious pasta, I put the plate under my chair and look around the room. Well, since I'm going to be sleeping in here... I find a pile of spare blankets around the corner, take one, and drape myself in it. It'll have to do. I settle myself back in the chair and stare out at the lightning. I don't know when, but after a while I fall asleep, my arm resting on Ace's bed and cradling my head.

I am woken up by the bed shaking. At first I think it's just another roll of thunder, but it continues after the lightning ceases. My head shoots up, taking in the scene at a glance. Ace is stirring in her sleep. It looks like she's trying to move in front of something. I can hear her murmuring half-coherent words, and I bend over, trying to make them out.

A bright flash of lightning sears its way through my vision, and the resulting thunderclap is nearly deafening. Ace's eyes shoot open and she screams a single word. When I hear it, my heart nearly breaks.

_"Loki!"_

My hand snakes forward and grips hers firmly.

"I'm here, Ace. I'm here. And I'm not letting go."

Her wild eyes roll over to me. "L-Loki. You're- alive.'

I smile, feeling my eyes burning with unshed tears. "Yes, Ace. I'm alive. And so are you."

She stares at me. I stare back and squeeze her hand ever so gently. Finally, she lets out a breath, letting her tensed muscles relax. She practically melts back into the bed. I let out a breath that I didn't realise I'd been holding.

"You didn't die," she says quietly, closing her eyes. I nod.

"Nope, I managed to survive for you."

A small smile decorates her mouth. "That's- good."

I laugh, still holding back a sob of relief. "Yeah."

We sit like that for a little until she goes back to sleep, still holding my hand tightly.

_I did it,_ is the only thought in my mind. _I saved my little sister in time._

Thunder and lightening. The side effects of the portal opening are mild for its size. The Destroyer stands above the plain, overseeing the armies of Hel as they march forward into the crackling blue circle. The Lady Death stands at his side, watching her army silently. Turning away from the scene, The Destroyer walks to the center of his throne room, in front of the glowing circle that acts as his eye to Midgard. Tonight it shows a roiling sky, with lightning forking through it. The top of the building known to the Midgardians as Stark Tower comes into view, lit up by the random flashes.

"It is a well-veiled portal, milady," he says, acknowledging the part that Lady Death had in the transport of the dead army.

"That may be, Titan, but if the army fails under your command I hold you solely responsible."

Thanos chuckles, the sound harsh in the throne room.

"Milady, they shall not. You shall watch from here as Midgard is brought under our rule. And once we have Midgard, the other eight realms shall soon follow." His fist clenches in anticipation of seizing the planet.

"You should hope so, Titan."

**Authors' Note: **Sooo. This chapter gave us SO much grief because neither of our muses were cooperating...sorry if it's super late. Any ideas/feedback about how the heck to make it better would be _greatly_ appreciated. Thank you for being so patient! Hang in there, the butt-whuppin' starts next chapter ;) Love y'all!

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja


	24. War Part 1: Zombie Games Really Do Help

War Part 1: Zombie Games Really Do Help

The longer he sits in that cage the more he thinks about those "fake" photos The Destroyer had shown him. He can't wrap his head around it, but something tells him that those we not fakes after all. If they were fakes shouldn't his team have rescued him by now? What if The Destroyer was right, and his team really has fallen apart? He didn't to think about it, but with the army on its way to Earth, his mind just won't leave him alone. He lowers his head in a silent prayer for the safety of Earth.

"If I get out of this," he mutters to himself. "I'm going to kill you all." This last promise to his team fills the damp air and rings hollowly back to his ears as the roars of the army die away in the background. He sighs. _If_ he got out of this.

The armies touch down on Midgard a few seconds after they go through the portal, coming to rest in a deserted train yard just outside of New York. Laufey, second in command to The Destroyer, stands a little straighter and sharpens his icy knife. As the portal closes and the last of the soldiers comes to rest on the solid ground, he gets up on a box and addresses the forces.

"You heard the orders of The Destroyer!" he shouts. "You are to march straight into the city and kill all you find! Once we behold all of the Avengers lying dead we will move on to the greater task of conquering Midgard!"

The army raises a skeletal cheer, the clacking of teeth ringing out into the still morning. Laufey grins coldly and raises his dagger to the heavens.

"Now we go forth! Now we take the city! Do not dare leave anything alive! Thanos your master wishes the heads of the Avengers! You will not disappoint him!"

The army holds their weapons up. The skeletal warriors raise a mighty chatter and the frost giants' howls tear through the morning. Then, as one, the army begins running towards the city of New York, their feet pounding against the damp ground like war drums.

It's a normal day at breakfast- well, I say normal. As normal as normal gets around here, what with Thor loudly demanding more Pop-Tarts, Clint and Banner arguing over the last piece of cinnamon toast, Pepper trying to keep up with the appetites of the team, and Jane and Natasha sitting across the table from each other, chatting and drinking highly caffeinated and scalding hot coffee. Lady Sif and The Warriors Three haven't shown up at all today, and I briefly wonder where they are before pushing the thought out of my mind and concentrating on food. I stand at the counter, scraping the last of the scrambled eggs off of my plate and listening to Tony Stark and his daughter banter back and forth about their suits.

"There is no way you could beat me in a hand to hand." Tony says.

"Don't lie to yourself, Daddy. Only in your dreams could you actually beat me in anything," Alex replies. Stark frowns.

"Well..." he starts to tick off points on his fingers. "Age...wisdom...beauty..."

"You wish!"

"...racing..."

"Oh heck to the no! _Who_ had to buy us all ice cream? Loki and I even stopped in a hotel for the night!"

I nearly spew my (very delicious, home-cooked) eggs. "You _what?_"

"Loki and I got a room in a hotel for the night. We stayed together."

"I...can't believe he'd do that," I say, restraining myself from saying what I _really_ want to say.

"You'd better start explaining, dear," Stark says with a voice like steel.

"Nothing happened. We just slept in the same bed together."

I'm pretty sure my breakfast turned itself over in my stomach at that moment.

"Really, nothing happened. I would never make him do anything out of his comfort zone. Loki and I already had that talk. It's fine."

I nod, not sure if I believe her. She _is_ Stark's daughter, after all. But before we can pursue the point further, Jane startles us all by jumping up and rushing over to the window.

"What is _that?"_

We are all shaken by her tone and come over to look out the large pane of glass. What I see turns my stomach even more. A large grey river is streaming through the streets of New York, weapons glinting in the morning light. _So it's started._

"Duh, Jane. It's so obvious. Don't you watch TV?" Stark says, finally breaking our horrified silence..

"Zombies!" Alex screams in delight.

"This is serious, Tony," Pepper says in a disapproving tone.

"I am serious. It's obvious that those frost giants obtained a whole army of zombies and they are now bent on destroying New York."

"And serving our heads on a silver platter to the Thanos guy," Alex adds. "I mean really, why else would they be _here_?"

"What should we do?" Jane asks.

"Ugh! Do any of you know anything?" Tony asks.

"We take our weapons and meet them in a glorious battle!" Thor shouts gleefully.

"Right, calm down a little there, Big Guy," Alex says. "All you have to do is aim for the head and don't miss" I stare at her. "What? Haven't you seen all the zombie movies?"

"Yeah, Capsicle. It's Zombie 101," Tony says. I roll my eyes, not about to let them know I have _no idea whatsoever _as to what they're talking about.

"Sure. That's good and all, but don't we need a plan?" I'm trying to step up as the leader of the team here.

"We just came up with one. Meet them in battle," Alex points at Thor. "Aim for the head and don't miss," she says this part slowly, enunciating as if I'm stupid. "See? Perfect foolproof plan."

I'm about to argue but Thor thunders over me, "THE PLAN IS WELL THOUGHT OF. I shall wield the mighty Mjolnir to protect thy realm! FOR ASGAAARD!" He charges out of the room to get into his battle gear.

"Dad and I have the sky covered," Alex pipes up. "Jarvis! Bring out the suits!"

"Wait a second, honey. I'll go get Loki and make sure he's going to fight. I'll be right with you." Stark dashes out of the room. I turn to the rest of the team, the ones who actually wait for orders.

"Um...go suit up, I guess. We'll need to make sure the other three don't kill themselves." I find myself grinning as we draw near to a battle. "Let's go save the world!"

"Again..." Clint mutters, but I can tell his eyes are shining too. I turn to Pepper before I leave.

"Call the police department," I say, remembering something important. "Tell them to get every single citizen out of the city. We can't afford to babysit civilians this time around."

I turn to Jane after the team leaves. She is already on her cell trying to get a hold of the police, but after a few minutes she hangs up.

"They are overloaded with calls. I can't get in," she says.

"Watch and learn, honey," I reply. "Jarvis!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Get me the chief of police on the phone now."

"Right away, madam." Moments later Jarvis comes back. "He's on line two." I pick up the phone.

"This is Pepper Stark. I need a city wide evacuation now."

"Mrs. Stark, it is already in progress," he says.

"Good." I hang up and look at Jane. "Already started."

"Then we should get out of here too."

"Agreed."

I'm rudely shaken awake by a frantic genius.

"Loki! Get up! We're in trouble!"

"Whaaa...?" My brain's still slow.

"GET UP! Your father and his undead army are outside taking their anger out on New York! We don't have much time and we need everyone! HURRY!"

My head spins as the information sinks in. _Laufey. _I shake my head.

"I can't go, Mr. Stark. I have to stay to make sure nothing happens to Ace!"

"Would you leave your personal life out of this?"

I narrow my eyes. "I am, sir. This is my duty to an injured teammate-"

"So you would let the man that injured said teammate walk around and possibly injure or even kill another one of us? Like oh let's just say _Alex?_ You're saying you wouldn't want revenge?"

I turn away from him. He knows how to get under my skin, but I'd never forgive myself if something bad happened to Ace while I was away. I know it's a foolish reason to stay, but somehow it keeps me seated. Mr. Stark turns away, yelling in frustration. He stomps out of the room. I look back at Ace. She still hasn't woken up again, and I'm not sure if what I saw last night was a dream or not. I hope it wasn't. I can hear the angry footsteps receding down the hallway, and the muted ring of voices.

"...can't talk sense into him...maybe you can..."

Then a heavier pair of footsteps comes over to the door. I look up and see Thor. Clint is trailing behind him.

"You go, Loki. I'll watch over her," Clint says.

"They need you in the battle," I reply, shaking my head. Thor groans.

"We need you as well, brother!" I don't reply, just sit there. Clint sighs in exasperation, walking over to me and practically lifting me out of my chair.

"You _will_ go into battle, Loki. We need you."

"With all due respect, sir-"

"Heal her."

Thor's simple statement rings out in the confines of the room. I look at him incredulously. He raises an eyebrow.

"I've seen you heal yourself before, brother."

"Thor, those were _cuts._ This is... huge. I can't fix it."

Clint drops me. "Well, it doesn't hurt to try." I can hear the desperation in his voice.

"Mr. Barton... I... _can't."_

"Please, Loki." I bite my lip.

"I...don't know how it'll affect her-"

"_Please._"

I take a deep breath. I can't deny him the chance of seeing his little girl healed. Placing my hands together, I draw on every single reserve of magic that I possess. I can feel the power coursing through my veins and coming to the surface in my hands. I'm dimly aware of the sharp blue glow that begins to light up the room. Once I can tell that the full extent of my magic is compacted into my hands, I gather myself, mutter the healing incantation, and place one hand on Ace's forehead and the other on her stomach.

I can _feel_ the transfer of energy, the healing magic draining itself from me. I keep my hands in place, though, despite the room spinning and starting to dim. A static shock separates my hands from her body, and I slump back in my chair, completely exhausted. I keep my eyes on my teammate, though, wanting to make sure I'd done the job.

Her eyes snap open and she sits up with a wordless yell. I allow myself a tired smile.

I float in the darkness that's become so familiar in the past few days. Sometimes it's broken by memories or pictures of friends, but most of the time it's darkness- all consuming darkness. Right now, I am reliving the exact moment when I jumped in front of Loki and received an ice dagger for my pains. All I really remember is the need to save my brother, shoving him aside, and icy pain exploding through my whole body. There are a few dim memories after that, like red eyes coming into view above me, and then everything _freezing._ Literally. So now, I drift around, lost to the world, until something pierces the darkness.

It's blue and warm, and I'm strangely drawn to it. All of a sudden, the light separates into two and the small dots explode into twin supernovas. Warmth floods my body, and I can feel my heart begin to pump faster. Soon, it feels as though I've been dosed with liquid adrenaline. And within a few seconds the liquid adrenaline condenses until it feels like the very blood in my veins has turned to fire. I scream my way back to the surface.

"PAPE!" I yell. I have to yell. The whole world is just so..._alive_ right now. Everything looks like it's been showered with diamonds and the sunlight coming through the window is painfully intense. My heartbeat is making the monitors go crazy, and I rip the patches from my chest. I look around the scene. Loki is sitting in his chair like he's about to pass out. Pape is standing next to him, staring at me with his mouth open. In the doorway stands Thor, looking amazed.

"Well done, little brother," he breathes. I whirl to face Loki.

"Did you do this? Thanks, feels great!"

He gives a nod, his head falling forward. I grab his chin.

"Don't fall asleep on me, hey. We need you awake. I don't know why, but since I'm back it must be important. Why did you bring me back?"

"The armies have come," Thor says quietly. "We must prepare for battle."

"Prepare for battle?" I nearly scream. "DO battle you mean! I'm ready!"

Thor gives a wide smile. "What do you mean, you could not heal her?" he asks Loki. "I am beginning to think you overdid it."

"At the expense of my own energy, yes," Loki responds wearily. It barely registers in the back of my mind as I jump out of bed and start running down the corridor, ignoring the shouts that echo behind me. The only thought hammering through my brain right now is to get to my weapons and out of this hospital gown. I don't stop to take the elevator, just streak up the stairs, hardly stopping for breath when I reach the floor where my room is. I quickly change into my black training pants and boots, shunning the normal white T-shirt in favor of a thick black one. It's still October, after all.

While I'm getting ready, a very tired Loki shows up, swaying as he walks and collapsing on his bed. "Whoa there, tiger," I say. "Slow down a bit more, why don't you."

"Gladly..." he trails off, closing his eyes. I sigh and reach into the medical kit I have next to my bed. I go over to him and gently slap his cheek to bring him around.

"Loki, are you alright?"

He manages to crack a smile. "Well, apparently waking my sister up took a huge chunk of my energy."

I nod. "I think I got it from you."

He laughs, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I can see that."

I kneel in front of him, patting his cheek gently with my left hand while my right hand snakes back to my belt. "Hey, you can't go into battle looking like that."

"Who says I'm g- AHH!"

While he was talking, my fingers had worked the cap off the sharp and I'd just plunged it into his vein. He blinks a little as if he's just had a firework go off in his face.

"What...whaaat was THAT?"

I grin. "Adrenaline. Remind you of a certain training scenario?" He ignores my previous question, leaping to his feet and screaming in the same way I must have when I woke up.

"Then what are we waiting around for?"

I jump up too, the effort of staying still too great. "Let's do this thing!" He looks through his suitcase, quickly finding the pants, boots, and jacket that match mine. I tie my long hair back in a braid and tuck it under a knit cap, finishing the task quickly and strapping my weapons into their places. I grab one last thing- a belt similar to my mother's- and strap it around my waist. I have a feeling I'll be needing the extra arrows, arrowheads, and medical supplies. I turn back around to see a very energetic, ready-to-go-kill-zombies Loki. He grins.

"Let's go!"

The thrusters kick in, propelling me faster. The army was large, but not unbeatable. The dead are not so dead after all.

"Makes playing all those zombies games worth it," Dad says, his voice a little tinny through the speaker in my helmet.

"Told you so," I snark.

"Leave it to you to find a way to say 'I told you so' in the middle of a war," he replies.

"Love you too, Daddy."

We fly around, taking the enemies out from the sky. This army is a little unaware that we are flying because we are basically being ignored. I turn a hard left, Dad a right. We fly above the armies, shooting the undead warriors as they attack the rest of the team. I'm doing a good hundred miles per hour when a large blue tree branch like arm grabs my foot. I try to shake it off, but it pulls me to the ground.

"Ow," I mutter.

"Where is my son?" the blue monster says.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about," I say getting up. "However if you inform the police I'm sure they will be able to help you." A large blue hand, curled into a fist, comes flying at my face, but I call up my fighting training, and I'm able to avoid it.

"Too slow. Sorry, just can't beat the suit." I turn to fly off, but once again he grabs my foot. _Really? Dude! It was a joke! Chill!_ He takes me and flings me back to the ground. _Okay. This is getting old_. I send an energy blast in his direction, giving me enough time to get away.

I fly back to the Tower, trying to find the rest of the team. I find Loki, Ace, Thor, and Clint who have just come out onto the roof of the Tower. Clint's handing Loki and Ace the earpieces that will link them to the rest of us. I fly over and interrupt their conversation.

"Alex? How's it going?" Clint asks.

"Well, let's see, umm... the zombies, not so bad, but Laufey, not so good."

"You-"

"Yeah, let's just say, he's not the happiest camper in the world, and I had the misfortune of stumbling across him. Well, actually he grabbed me out of the sky, but still," I say. Thor and Loki's eyes go wide. I grin.

"Yep, well, lots of pickings for all of us," I remark cheerfully. "Anytime you're ready."

"Zombies, coming your way, kiddo," Dad yells.

"On it!"

We watch as Alex hurls herself off the top of Stark Tower, turning a somersault in midair before flying off to blast some more undead soldiers. I turn back to our little group. I open my mouth but Nat's voice comes through our comm links.

"Little help down here, anytime one of you four wants to show up!"

I tap my earpiece, answering. "Of course, love. Give me a moment." I turn to Thor. "Wanna give me a lift?" He's already twirling Mjolnir, the rage of battle gleaming in his eyes. I take his hand and look back at my girl before we leave.

"Uh...have fun," I say. Both she and Loki are practically bouncing off the walls, so I have no worries about either of them. Then Thor takes off and my arm is nearly jerked from its socket.

He drops me off in the middle of a deserted street lined with cafes. Natasha is in the middle of it, surrounded by soldiers. I land ungracefully in the center of the whole mess, whipping out my bow and shooting one that was about to shoot her.

"You called, my lady?"

She glares at me. "You're late."

I grin. "But you still love me."

"You, Clint Barton, are incorrigible!" She punctuates her words by delivering a split kick to two soldiers and zapping another with her gauntlet. I frown.

"I don't know what that means but I'm hoping it's complimentary!" I use my bow to strangle one, kicking his corpse into another.

She shakes her head, her fiery curls bouncing. "Decidedly not!"

We move together, back to back, as the soldiers press in on all sides. "First to break the line owes the other...?" I ask. might as well make this a little fun.

"A brand-new weapon of the other's choice." _And this is why I love her._

"Done and done." We fly off each other, spinning into the ranks of soldiers like twin tops of destruction.

After I drop the archer off, I use Mjolnir to fly to where the loud roaring is coming from. I need to join the Doctor on his rampage. I find him a few streets over, smashing through the armies of Hel like they are paper. My knee splits the skull of a soldier as I land, and I hurl the hammer into the concrete and create a wave that swallows the whole block of dead. Bruce Banner comes up through the rubble seconds later, his tiny eyes looking around for a sign of life.

"Hello Doctor!" I wave my arms to attract his attention. "I believe we are needed this way!" I take off running down the ruined street, trying to find more soldiers for him to smash. it is always a pleasure to go into battle with the Hulk.

I'm pretty well stranded. Standing on top of an overturned truck with undead soldiers swarming me from all directions is _definitely_ not one of my favorite pastimes. I'm busy kicking one off my leg and throwing my shield at another's head when a voice from above startles me, making me jump and lose my target. To my chagrin, my shield doesn't rebound from the soldier's head but lands about ten feet away. Yeah, I'm screwed.

"Need some zombie killing help?"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"You're welcome, Captain America." I sigh.

"Mind getting my shield back?" I say as another soldier gets on top of the truck.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Stark replies, dropping down to Earth and throwing my shield back to me. I slam the undead fighter in the face, knocking him down to the street below me. I leap down from the vehicle and sprint over to Stark.

"Ready?" I ask. He snorts in reply.

"If you are." I grin.

Tony and I fight side by side for about ten minutes, and we have the upper hand, but it doesn't last long. Tony moves away from me a bit, taking on a whole horde of them. I turn to help just as one soldier jumps on his back making him cry out. I throw my shield, but instead of hitting the zombie, I end up hitting Tony. He falls to the ground, shooting an energy blast at the latest incoming soldier.

"Cap, the plan was not to miss the head. HOW COULD YOU MISS? YOU WERE LIKE TWO FEET AWAY! AND OF ALL THE LUCK- YOU HIT ME! NOT THE ZOMBIE, YOU COMPLETELY MISSED HIM! NO! YOU HIT ME!"

I roll my eyes and extend a hand. "Don't be a baby about it."

He gets up and I can practically _see_ the fake kicked-puppy expression. "I can if I want to, so there!"

I throw my shield again, taking out a soldier that was about to hit him in the head. "Better?" I raise an eyebrow challengingly.

"Where was THAT when I needed it? Huh? Do you just enjoy hitting me?"

"Why yes, yes I do. Especially when you throw temper tantrums about it."

"Well, fine then. I'm just not going to talk to you any more."

"Finally! Thank God! Tony Stark is actually going to be quiet!" Luckily for me, he holds to his promise and doesn't respond. It's going to be a long day.

Whatever the heck Ace had shot into my arm _worked._ I honestly now know how the Energizer Bunny feels. Beside me, she's practically vibrating with energy as well. We're going to do some serious damage out there. Neither of us can hold still as the elevator drops smoothly to the ground floor. To my heightened senses, the ride is interminable. Finally, though, the door opens slowly and we sprint out, setting the revolving doors spinning as we run to the battlefield.

The New York streets are completely evacuated, leaving us plenty of room to work with the enemy forces and head them off from the areas that they are sure to destroy the most. Ace looks at me and raises an eyebrow. I grin and nod. We give our twitching muscles full rein and sprint down the abandoned streets, itching for a fight.

Lady Death and Thanos the Destroyer stand together, watching the portal that shows Midgard. Death smiles wickedly and brings her hands together, enjoying the success her army is having as the Avengers disband, trying to divide and conquer. _Not today, insolent Midgardians. It is the army of Hel that will be doing the conquering._ She is contemplating the order in which she will display the Avengers' heads in her banquet hall when the portal moves its eye to a street named Fifth Avenue. Her forces are flying backwards as if propelled by a small whirlwind. She narrows her eyes, trying to make out the cause of such destruction. As if on cue, a silvery projectile flies out from the mayhem to embed itself in a skeleton's head. The unfortunate soldier is thrown backwards, landing in a position that clearly reveals the arrow sticking out of his skull. The Lady's mouth drops open as she processes those implications. In answer to her suspicions, a flash of blue magic appears and vanquishes half of the soldiers attacking it. The remaining half close in quickly, but not quickly enough to hide the two figures standing in the middle of the lane. They stand untouched by even the armies of Hel, and as she watches the taller one brings his hands together, summoning a magic spell, and the shorter one nocks an arrow to her bowstring. Screaming a wild battle cry that seems to span the distance between the realms, they hurl themselves at the army, reaping the path of destruction that only two berserkers can. The Lady Death whirls on Thanos.

"What is the meaning of this, Titan?"

I fly over the battle, trying to figure out where I'm most needed. A blinding blue flash distracts me from my course, and I go over to investigate. By the time I touch down on the ruined street, the light and dust have both cleared, revealing Ace and Loki who barely look tired. I lift up my visor and scream at them.

"HOW THE HECK CAN YOU TWO MAKE SUCH A MESS OUT OF _FIFTH AVENUE?_ I SHOP here, for Heaven's sake! You couldn't even _try_ to spare it? Not even just a little?"

Ace grins back at me, looking a little demented. _Note to self: ask her later what she's on._

"Nice to see you too, Alex."

Loki smiles at me sweetly and I flip my visor back down before he can see me blush. "Sorry about that, babe."

"No you're not, but whatever. I can see I'm not needed here." I'm about to fly off, but Ace stops me.

"Oh come on, Alex! Stay! We were just about to go find more zombies to kill!"

"No can do, dear. Gotta be on my way."

"Bet you can't kill more than me."

This stops me. "Ha! You just started! I'm already way ahead of your death count, sweetie! There is _no_ way you can catch up."

She cocks an eyebrow arrogantly. "A hundred." I am shocked.

"No way do you have twenty-five less than me."

"Bring it on, Iron Ma'am," she says, holding up a charred and smoking tabloid cover. I roll my eyes.

"And when I win?"

"_If_ you win," she corrects. "Whoever has the highest death count at the end of the day earns the title of Supreme Undead Monster Slayer and all the bragging rights that title entails."

"Oh, please. I'm not my father. You are going to have to do better than that to get me even interested."

"Said bragging rights entail leaving or taking anyone you want on social outings," she says, winking at me and acknowledging the ruined date.

"Interesting, but still not juicy enough. Sorry, little one."

"And making up pet names for the other two," Loki adds with a malicious glance at Ace.

"Hmm... fine on one condition."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"When I win, _you_ pay for me to have a nice shopping trip in Paris."

"_If_ you win," Ace grumbles.

"Done!" Loki says. I laugh.

"You two are _so_ going down!" I take off, flying slowly as they sprint down the ruined Avenue. Oh, how I'm going to love my shopping trip. Before we can find another horde of zombies, a radio broadcast stops us all cold.

_Agent Romanoff reporting! We are surrounded and we could use a lot of help!_ The broadcast is cut off by a brief crash and an _oof_ that sounds suspiciously like Clint. A sickening crack sound seconds later, and I figure Natasha must have taken out the offending soldier.

_Repeat, if anybody can come down to Central Park and save our butts we'd be eternally grateful! Romanoff ou- _The radio crackles and goes silent. I look down at Loki. He's already changed directions, but even his long strides are no match for Ace's sprint as she runs to help her parents. I grit my teeth and put the thrusters to full, streaking through the sky to help the two agents.

I fly to where Natasha and Clint are. Several rather large hordes surround them. I land next to them, going back to back with Alex, who lands by us moments later.

"At least someone showed up," Clint mutters.

"The others are on their way," I say. As if on cue, the rest of the team shows up. We all make a circle, our backs inwards. The skeletons chatter viciously. We are all prepared for a fight when Jarvis comes on.

"Sir, the suit is at 34% power."

"I can see that, Jarvis..." I say. The others turn. Alex curses moments later.

"Dad..." she says. I know her suit is running low as well.

"I know!" I say.

"How long?"

"Oh, let's say a good twenty minutes."

"Or a rather big five..."

"Yeah..." We gulp. _We need help..._

The sky darkens, lightening shooting in all directions. Thor looks up and lets out a deafening shout, raising his hammer. We follow his gaze, and as the black funnel cloud touches down to Earth, a blinding flash of blue comes from it, radiating outwards. The skeleton warriors stand where they are, and the sheer fact that they haven't charged us yet betrays their nervousness. A golden light shines forth, replacing the blue, and through the glare I can make out an old man with a huge spear and an eight-legged horse. The glow intensifies, and in a blink of an eye, an entire army dressed in gold surrounds the hordes.

"Father!" Thor shouts.

"Well, that is a fine welcome," comes a voice. I turn and find myself facing Lady Sif and The Warriors Three.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Alex screams. I, for once, am at a loss for words. _Help, finally._


	25. War Part 2: Girl Power

**Authors' Note: **Yes indeed, as some of you observant readers have pointed out, the eight legged horse is a child of Loki's, but that's according to Norse mythology. Odin had the horse in _Thor_, and Loki didn't say anything about it being his child then, so...we're just going with the version where it's Odin's horse and not a distant relation :)

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**War Part 2: Girl Power**

The only thought going through my mind as I look out over the armies of Asgard is _whoa._ They're huge. _Yep, help has __definitely__ showed up._ Odin the All-Father looks down at his sons with pride.

"The time has come," he proclaims, "To finish our enemies together, my sons!"

Thor and Loki look like they could burst with happiness. Everyone is silent for a moment; the calm before a storm. Then,

"CHAAARGE!"

The golden army surges forward at the All-Father's command, washing through the zombies like a tidal wave. Our ragged band raises a tired cheer and we charge forward as well. I find myself running to conserve energy, and two of the Warriors Three flank me. The big one on my left looks like a demented teddy bear (with an impressive beard, might I add) and wields a huge battle-axe. Jackie Chan is on my right, already pulling out a pair of vicious-looking knives. I find myself yelling out an Un-Tony-Stark-Like battle cry as we meet the front line of the enemy. They scatter like grass clippings in front of us, and I start to feel like the Lawn Mower of Death. It's awesome.

"Milady, I had no idea the archer survived!" Thanos says, putting up his hands defensively. "I thought her dead as well!"

"You thought wrong!" Death hisses venomously. "Your army is weak!"

"Milady, I assure you-"

"Your assurance means nothing to me! It appears that I must supplement my armies. Titan, if this last attack fails, any and all blame shall fall squarely on _your_ shoulders."

"Yes, milady. As you wish," The Destroyer wisely deferrs to the Lady.

The Lady stands well back from the portal, working her fingers in the gestures of magic, calling to an unseen force. When her eyes focus again, she glances at the portal. A mighty roar can he heard through it. She smiles mirthlessly.

"Let the war begin."

We're very nearly finished with the armies who had previously swamped us, the armies of Asgard turning the tide quickly in our favor. Well, that's until the animalistic growl echoes from the towers around us, magnifying itself and then dying away. It sparks a memory in my head...from so long ago...back when Thor and I were small... I turn to my father.

"Is that...?" His terse nod scares me more then the roar did. Beside me, Thor starts twirling his hammer. Ace glances over at me.

"What the heck is that?" I follow her finger and see the hulking form through the buildings. _No. It can't be. _

"To me!" Odin calls, and the Asgardians whirl to face the new threat, forming themselves quickly into a phalanx. I find myself at its tip, along with Ace and Alex, who's just come down to run beside us. We sprint forward, the war cries ripping unbidden from our throats as we charge the cave troll that has just arrived on the scene. The apparition is huge, a fourth of the size of Stark Tower at _least_. Its skin is ragged and black, its fangs crooked and yellow. Every single huge muscle stands out on its body, curving sinisterly in the early afternoon light. The club it carries is rotten but still the size of a California redwood. It opens its mouth and _roars._ The sound is nearly deafening, and clearly conveys its intention of killing us all. The army bravely runs forward, though, but one person outdistances us all. Doctor Banner takes leaping strides towards the monster, catching it in a flying tackle. The two beasts roll backwards, tearing up the earth in their fierce struggle. Alex and her dad take to the sky, circling the monster and pelting it with energy blasts.

It swings its club low, taking out a few Asgardians who got too close. The rest of our lines seem a little nervous now, their footsteps slowing even more. Something must be done. Without thinking, I run forward, clapping my hands together to summon a huge spell I know will at least wound the beast. I put a huge portion of my energy into it, murmuring the incantation carefully. I plant my feet firmly in the ground and release the spell, watching in satisfaction as it carves a huge hole through the chest of the monster. I stand back as it falls forward limply, and Odin comes forward, resting his hand on my shoulder.

"Well done, Loki." I smile.

"Thank you, Father."

He nods his head once and spurs his steed onward, leading the forces of Asgard into another horde of the dead.

"Wow," Ace says. I see her standing about five feet away from the beast, poking its head with her bow. "That was _awesome._"

I grin back at her, catching my breath for a second. "That's got to count for at least a hundred," I say. She frowns.

"Fifty."

"Seventy-five."

"Fine." we shake hands and sprint off in the direction that sounds like it has the most skeletal clacking.

"A hundred and seventy-five, a hundred and seventy-six..." Ace counts under her breath as we battle the horde of zombies. A flash of bright pink comes by the corner of my eye and Alex touches down next to me.

"What you at, babe?"

I grin. "Two hundred and three."

"Liar."

"He got the troll," Ace explains ruefully.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. You did good, but I've seen better." I arch an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Ace cuts in. "Like my poker skills?"

"Burn. Whatever. You two are so petty. Why do I even hang out with you?" I laugh and take out a zombie that had been about to hit her in the back of the head.

"You were saying?"

"Back off, Lover Boy. That should have been my kill."

She's about to blast a soldier, but Ace's arrow beats her to it. She whirls on the archer.

"Come ON! Really?"

I laugh and kick another soldier in the chin. "Now, now, ladies."

Something hits me hard in the back and I find a dead zombie sprawled all over me, spilling God-Knows-What all over my jacket. I shake him off and glare at my two companions, who just laugh. Alex holds up her hand for a high-five and they slap hands.

"Girl power!" Alex taunts. Ace just grins.

Death whirls to face Thanos again.

"Titan! You have failed-" she stops as he holds up a massive hand.

"Pardon me, milady, but I have one card yet left to play." He snaps his fingers and a cage comes up from beneath the floor, with a mortal ensconced inside. Death recognizes him and her expression lessens in its ferocity.

"Very well, Titan. You should hope that this card serves you well."

Colors flash before my eyes and I am transported back to a place I know a little too well. New York. On the top of a ten story apartment building. Looking down, I see something that makes me proud. The team is all fighting just as I expected-like a proper team. Maybe the pictures were indeed fake. A rather large blue Frost Giant stalks over and twists my arm behind my back. He holds me in place, hissing words into my ear.

"Call to them," he says.

"Wh-" With one look at Blue Guy, I change my mind. No need to fight a battle I can't win. "When you all get a chance!" I yell down to the team. They look up, and I can see the surprise on their faces. "I could use some help!"

"Just stay there!" Stark yells back. I roll my good eye at him.

"Like I have a choice?"

The other suit in pink and silver- Alex I'm guessing- nods at the others. She takes off, her flight track heading right for me. _At least someone is going to help_. The giant smiles.

"Excellent."

The thrusters propel me forward, Jarvis screaming at me about the power. Fury needs help, and I am going to help him. The apartment building to my left comes a little too close to me.

"Jarvis, keep-"

I'm plucked out of the sky like a leaf and hurled to the ground. I look up to see the big bad blue Laufey staring down at me. _Again?_

"Bro, seriously. I thought we've been through this," I say standing up. This bull was getting old.

"We are not done," he replies.

"I think we are," I say. Quicker than me at a sale, his fist comes into contact with my stomach. The suit takes most of the damage, but there is still pain. _Fine,_ I think. _You want a fight? You've got one!_

I retaliate with a couple quick jabs to his torso. We both go into fight mode only running on instincts. I bet we look like we are performing some twisted dance. We both get in several hits, none of which are effective.

"1%." Jarvis' voice rings through the helmet. Laufey takes the advantage of my momentary distraction. His blue hand wraps around my neck as my suit completely dies on me.

"Now..." Before he can finish I kick him in the kneecaps (perfect way to take down bigger opponents) and break away from him. I rip the useless helmet off. _Now it's on!_ "Why are you protecting him?" I stop at the blunt question.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"My son. Why do you protect him? I have no issue with you, Iron Maiden. I only wish to see my son."

I roll my eyes. "It's something called _love,_ Boy Blue. Not that you'd know."

The cold grin that spreads across his face unnerves me a little. "I know enough about love," he says slowly, "to know how powerful of a motivator it can be." He moves faster than lightning, grabbing my arm and holding me on the very edge of the building. "Now, scream for your lover."

"Never!" I bark. He allows me to fall back, catching my hand right before I go completely off.

"I said, _scream_! Or you die."

I stare back at him silently. My eyes say it all. _I'll not bow to you. Do what you like but I. Will. __Not.__ Scream._

A sibilant hiss escapes his teeth and with one last evil grin he drops me. I close my eyes and let my suit drag me downward. _It's over, then. _As I fall I can hear a scream.

"Alex! NO!"

It's Loki.

"I love you..." I whisper.

My Asgardian hero's voice is the last thing I hear before the world explodes into many colors and finally goes black.

"Alex! NO!" I scream the words as Laufey drops her over the ledge. He whirls around and before he can even smirk about his handiwork, an arrow, a bolt of magic, and a blast of energy hit him in the heart simultaneously. He crumples to the floor, a light frost spreading out from where his body lies. I turn to my right and see Ace's stormy face. I turn to my left and see Mr. Stark already rushing forward to the rooftop's edge.

"Alex! Baby!" He's screaming for her. I come over slowly, afraid of what I'll see. Alex is ten stories down, lying in a heap on top of a pile of rubble. Mr. Stark's visor flips up and he smashes his gloved fist down on the edge, a silent tear coming down from his eye. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why wouldn't she just scream?" Ace asks quietly. Mr. Stark laughs painfully.

"That was my Alex," he says. "She never could obey an order."

I feel the tears starting to burn, and I don't bother holding them back. The three of us stand there, softly shaking in our grief. Nick Fury comes over to us.

"I suppose I should thank you," he says. "But I think the one I should thank is down there."

His words ring hollowly for a moment, but they accomplish their purpose. I can tell Ace feels it first; her gloved hand tightens on her bow and she yanks her arrow from Laufey's body. Only when she nocks it on her bowstring, still dripping the blue blood, do I begin to feel it too. A cold rage, icier than my late father's dagger, begins in my heart and boils its way through my veins. I glance over at Ace and she nods tersely.

"They will pay," I vow.

"With interest," she adds grimly. She jerks her head and I come over to her, holding on as she throws us off the roof. Halfway down she twists in midair and fires an arrow attached to a zipline. It embeds itself in the wall and our descent slows to a crawl. We alight on the sidewalk and she disconnects her arrow, leaving the line attached to the building. I look up to see Mr. Stark jump off as well, his thrusters kicking in. They die when he's about five feet from the pavement, and he lands roughly, tearing off his mask and running over to his daughter. He'd saved the last bit of power he had to see her. My heart would have twisted painfully had it not been frozen over in rage. Ace unclips her medical belt and tosses it to him. He catches it and bends over his daughter.

We hear yelling around the corner, and a new troop of the undead comes running around it, bent on destruction. I hear the distinctive sound of my partner whipping out an arrow, and I ready my knives, not having the energy left to conjure a destructive spell. We stand like two sentinels, placing ourselves between the army and their prey. _Not if we have anything to say about it,_ I think.

The next few minutes are all a blur. I don't remember much except the world going red and the familiar feel of fighting with Ace, and the next thing I know she and I are standing in a ring of dead zombies. I'm not even breathing hard. Thor touches down next to us, coming over to where we stand in awe.

"Brother, Lady Ace, that was a truly impressive display of skill. Even the berserkers of Asgard could not match the rage I just saw." I glance back at Ace, and see her hands shaking as mine are. So she'd been raging as well.

"Laufey hurt Alex," I reply in a short explanation of our actions. Thor nods, taken aback.

"How much of their army is left?" Ace asks, still trying to get a hold on herself.

"Not many, lady. Perhaps a horde?"

"Take us there." I don't even recognize my voice anymore. Thor silently nods, understanding our need for revenge, and holds out his hand. Ace and I take it. The last thing I hear before we take off is Mr. Stark talking to his daughter.

"Alex, do me a favor and don't be dead. Please. I can't tell your mother that I just let you die. Please, baby. Wake up. Please..." Then Thor whirls Mjolnir above his head and we are flying high above the carnage.

He sets us down in front of a group of about thirty soldiers, calling the team off and telling them to stand back. I don't register the words anymore, just hurl myself at the skeletal warriors.

I stand back at Thor's command, watching the two teenagers who were normally so calm work themselves into a frenzy and attack the skeletons like twin whirlwinds. They move with a deadly accuracy and a driving purpose, and within five minutes all thirty of the warriors are dispatched. I see them walk out from the rings of dead, torn and bleeding, but still in battle mode. They look desperately around for something else to stab, but since nothing is forthcoming they finally fall to their knees, completely exhausted. I run over to Loki and look him in the eyes. A film seems to come down from them and he blinks once.

"What the...where..."

"Sh. You're fine now, Loki," I say. I hear a heavy step behind me and turn around to see an old man with an eyepatch. I nod once and step back, allowing a worried father access to his son.

"Loki..." he begins, but cuts himself off and just wraps his arms around his beloved son. I can see Loki's shoulders shake with the emotion of the reunion. But when Odin pulls away, Loki is still crying and the tears are not tears of joy. I step back forward.

"What's wrong, Loki?"

"A-Alex..." he manages. "She's...Laufey...he..." I bow my head, not making him continue.

"Ohh, kiddo." There's nothing else to say. So we sit there in the aftermath of a battle that has just destroyed a whole city, grieving for a comrade.

I walk at the head of the silent procession, hardly managing to keep my head upright. My little girl is slumped in my arms, wrapped in the damaged suit of armor that I made for her. Steve holds the door for me, and I walk in on autopilot, careful not to bump her head on the doorframe. Loki, Ace, and Steve are the only ones who ride the elevator with me, and the sacred silence is held until the doors open. Only then is it broken by a select few phrases so that we're able to understand how to best help her. When we have her safely out of the suit and resting on the couch, I leave Ace and Loki to keep watch over her and finally take myself out of my dead suit, stripping it away like a cocoon. I trudge over to the phone, dreading the call I have to make. Pepper picks up on the first ring.

"Tony! Thank God you're alright! I've been worried sick-"

I cut her off, willing my voice to keep steady although it's shaking with emotion.

"Pepper, we need to talk..."


	26. Debt

Debt

The doctor's mask. It's a face used and perfected by all the members of our profession for those horrible times when we have to deliver the bad news to family and friends. I fix this mask on my features now and check Alex's equipment once more out of routine. I don't want to have to go outside and face them. But I have to. Slowly, ever so slowly, I shuffle to the door and turn the handle. Pepper, Tony, Verusha, and Loki are waiting in the hallway, the same expectant look written on each of their faces and then fading to worry and despair as they see The Mask.

"I- I'm sorry," I manage. "But she's...she still hasn't woken up yet. She took a huge amount of injuries to- well- everywhere, and she's in a coma. I don't know..." my voice trails off but I force myself to keep going. "I don't know if she'll ever wake up."

The news rings hollowly into the corridor. Pepper silently collapses against her husband's chest, eyes closing and burying her face in the miniature arc reactor. He blinks hard and places his chin on top of her head, holding her close. Loki bows his head and it looks as though an anvil has been placed around his neck. Verusha swallows hard and punches her fist into her palm, the slap ringing out. She storms off angrily, and I find myself pitying whatever targets she has lined up in the training room. I stare at my shoes, uncomfortable with the situation and grieving for my brave niece.

A hand places itself on my shoulder, and when I look up Tony's brown eyes meet mine. He nods, and the simple gesture speaks volumes. _I understand, Doctor. Thank you for trying, I know you did your utmost. I understand, Uncle Banner. Thank you for helping your niece. I understand, Bruce. Thank you for being strong for us._ I nod back and he leaves with Pepper. I glance back at the Asgardian youth leaning against the wall. He looks up at me, gives me a sad smile, and wanders off. I watch him leave without a purpose. _Whatever his past sins were, I'm sure he has now more than paid for them,_ I think. _First his teammate and now his lover._ I turn back into the small room, gather my things, and leave after hooking up Alex's monitors to Jarvis's interface so I can check up on her at all times. Resolve sets in, so strong and rock-solid that I know the Other Guy has somewhat contributed to it. I never knew he cared. But the thought rings out clear and true in my head. _Here is one doctor who is __not__ losing his patient._

_Thud. Thud. Thud. _The sound of arrows hitting their marks rings out dully in the high-ceilinged room. The room is dark except for a single light illuminating the archer's targets. But in the shadows a figure moves with lightning speed, drawing arrows and firing them with nigh-inhuman accuracy. The 27-year-old archer pushes himself to the fastest speeds he has ever gone, setting his lips firmly as the bowstring whips across his unprotected skin for the millionth time.

It's the only place he can find sanctuary, can lose himself in his training- the weapons room on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. It's November again, the anniversary of the death of someone close to him. When it's November, he remembers. He remembers what he did to his team. He remembers what he did in the service of a madman. He remembers waking up and hearing The News. His handler had- _no._ He will _not_ remember this year. He has been coming down here nearly every day now, attempting to find himself somewhere in the bottom of an empty quiver. The last arrow is sent flying into the heart of the bulls-eye and he steps back a minute, barely pausing to grab a full quiver from the ten or so lined up on the bench. With a brief swig from a water bottle, he cracks his bloody knuckles and draws the first arrow from the new quiver. He knows he'll catch fire from his teammates- especially Natasha- tomorrow about the scars that have been showing up under his protective gear of late, but right now that is the last thing on his mind. His world melts down to the targets, the arrow, and the pain searing through his forearms and fingertips and he looses the arrow. _Thud. _The sound keeps on long into the night, its rhythm only pausing when the archer's quiver runs dry and he turns for a new one.

Years later, this same archer is sitting in the rafters of a similar training room, watching the girl he's raised as his own mete out the same punishment to herself. Arms bare of guards, fingers without grips, she reaches into her quiver for the millionth time and draws out her millionth arrow. Her bloody hands hardly shake as it's sent flying dead into the bull's-eye, and she nocks the next arrow to her string in a heartbeat. _Thud. Thud. Thud._ The thuds settle into a hypnotic rhythm, and Clint watches with sad eyes. He remembers. He knows the pain she's going through right now, both physical and mental, and his heart breaks for his little girl. She blames herself for not being able to prevent Alex's coma. Just as he blamed himself for not being there for his handler. So he doesn't try to stop her. She has to draw her own conclusions, just as he did.

He leaves around one in the morning- the sight of his daughter punishing herself is too much for him to bear without intervention. And something tells him intervention right now is unwise. So he moves silently through the rafters, exiting the room and padding upstairs to go to bed. The thuds echo down the hallway behind him.

The icy blue arms hold me in their painfully strong grasp, a hand gripping the back of my head. A sibilant hiss resounds in my ear.

"She didn't scream."

I recognize it as Laufey's voice. But who...? A memory tugs at the edges of my consciousness, urgently whispering a name that I can't make out. I don't know...

"She chose her own fate."

Who? Who did? It's driving me insane. I can't...I don't...know..._who!_

"W-who?" I finally croak out. The body behind mine rises and falls in silent laughter. I grow angry. "Who? Tell me who chose their own fate! _Who?_"

The laughter crescendos, its harsh sound shredding the very air around me. It's all I can do not to scream as it rips into my eardrums.

"Who?" I try again. The chuckles grind to a halt and I am whirled around to face the frost giant. His red eyes bore into mine.

"You do not remember."

"WHO WAS IT?" I scream. I'm getting desperate now- and my subconscious is yelling at me, pounding the thought through my brain that, _this is important! This is important! Why can't you just REMEMBER? _Laufey grins.

"Now, _Asgardian, _turn and look on the face of your lover!"

I am roughly spun around and my face is shoved over the edge. I can hardly make out the still pink and silver form below, but a glance is all I need. I collapse to the floor, my hands curling into fists against the scratchy brickwork. _Alex...how could I forget Alex..._

I wake up to my fists curling around soaked Egyptian cotton sheets. The room around me is dark and close, a contrast to the scene I was in a few seconds ago. I sit up slowly, trying to get my bearings. A thought occurs to me, and I look down at the sheets frantically. _Am I bleeding-?_ Upon closer inspection, though, they're not stained red. In fact, they're not stained at all... Realization comes crashing down on me as I see what has soaked the sheets clean through. Tears. And... _Oh my- Alex!_ Without a second thought I pull on the shirt that's beside my bed and sprint out of the room. I take the stairs, my feet hardly touching the cold floor. The one thought in my brain is _Alex, Alex, Alex, Alex, Alex. _I canNOT let myself forget again.

I run down the hallway of the 66th floor, stopping in front of her door and wrenching it open. My love lies in her bed, in the same position we left her in. I let out a deep breath, but I'm still worried. I have to say it. Moving quickly over to her side, I pull up the chair and take her hand in mine. The whisper comes out choked with tears, but it's the best I can manage.

"Hey," I say quietly. "I-I...have something..." My tears threaten to overwhelm my voice but I swallow them back.

"I remember your name," I get out. "And I'll never let you go again." Then the tears come. I lay my head down on the bed, holding her cold hand, and let it all out into the quiet hospital room.

_5:00 AM. _

The door to the 66th floor of Stark Tower slowly creaks open, letting the shadowy figure glide past it silently. Padding up the hallway, it comes to a halt in front of the room housing a sleeping girl and a boy bent over her bed, lightly snoring. The figure smiles and takes up a position on the wall across the corridor, favoring the arm and fingers that aren't torn and ragged. The icy blue eyes stay fixed on the scene, watching and standing as a silent sentinel. It's only when the night outside the windows lightens into the shades of early morning and the boy stirs that the small archer moves swiftly off, her task of guarding her friends complete.

I wake up in the same position that I was in last night, bent over Alex's bed and still gripping her hand. Outside the window, the morning sun streams in. But its rays don't comfort me. They just illuminate the destruction of the city and of our team. Sighing deeply, I kiss Alex's hand and put it back by her side.

"Sorry, baby," I whisper. "Gotta go eat. Steve would kill me if I didn't take care of myself." I take a last glance at her and close the door silently behind me. As I'm about to walk off, though, I notice something on the sterile white floor. Quite a few drops of blood are accumulated by a cart of medical equipment, painting the floor red. _What?_ I'm confused, but don't give the matter any more thought. Things are confusing enough around here already.

We have a team dinner later that night, everyone showing up except for Alex. None of us really talk about her or the battle or anything like that. It's a taboo topic for this meal. I can understand. Even I, the scientific girlfriend of a Norse god, can see enough in the team members' faces to let me know how the battle must have gone. I don't even ask Thor. I just try to be there for everyone, alongside Pepper. We both serve them tonight, and I remember to scoop out an extra portion of green beans for Steve and more potatoes for Thor. They don't say much, but I can see the gratitude in their eyes. It's enough.

Conversation around the table is limited, what with Thor and Steve not knowing anything of popular culture and the rest of them not knowing what else to talk about that didn't cross the line into banned topics. Pepper and I mainly keep it going, with a few helpful interjections from Bruce or Tony. It's over plates of apple pie when I see it. Ace reaches for another helping, unconsciously moving her long sleeve up her arm. A long, thick red slash adorns her forearm. Steve and I are the only two who see it, and he freezes. A billion thoughts race through my mind. _Another battle scar. Wait. Steve seemed surprised. He knows it's not from the battle. Where is it from? _I steal a glance over at Clint and Natasha. _They wouldn't- they don't- seem- like those kinds of parents. Then why-?_ My thoughts are cut off by Steve's gentle voice.

"Ace?"

She looks up at him. "Yeah?"

He points to her arm. "Where did you...?"

Her eyes shoot down to her exposed skin and she quickly jerks her arm back, covering it with her sleeve again. "Oh, it's nothing. I fell on my drawer."

Steve and I both know that's not true. Ace looks at the floor and quietly scoots her chair back.

"Um, I think...I'll actually skip that pie."

And with that she turns, walking out of the room before we have a chance to argue. Steve looks over at me, and I shrug. He returns his eyes to his favorite dessert, but I can tell it's still bothering him.

We're all sitting around the living room, each of us finding a spot to our liking and settling there, still processing the outcome of the battle. Bruce is sitting in an armchair, arms wrapped around his legs. Pepper and Tony are on a small couch, Pepper silently crying as Tony's arm sits around her shoulders comfortingly. Jane is sitting next to Thor, who is lost in thought. Natasha and Clint are on the floor, leaning against the wall with their shoulders pressed tightly against each other. Loki is on a couch, half-lying, half-sitting, his eyes in another world. Ace sits in a chair, her head in her hands. She's the only one of us who hasn't shed a tear yet, and I'm starting to think that maybe Clint and Natasha trained her a little _too_ well. The deep cut I'd seen on her arm earlier tonight is still bugging me. I was pretty sure she hadn't got it in the battle, and her guilty actions proved me right. But I don't know how to approach her about it. So I just settle for sipping my hot chocolate and looking out over my team. We've survived worse, I conclude. We can move on and heal from this as well. Just as I've come to this conclusion, however, something happens that shatters it completely.

Ace gets up, silently moving off to somewhere private. No one makes a move to stop her, and I let her go, figuring that she needs to sort herself out somewhere away from people. Loki, however, is of a different opinion.

"Where are you going?" he asks loudly. Everyone stares at him. Ace doesn't turn, though, mumbling something about going off to be alone. Loki folds his arms over his chest.

"You're not going to let your _team_ help you through it? That's what we're here for, _my dear._" The way he says it comes across almost accusatory. She freezes where she is.

"Loki, I'm only going to say this once. _Back off._" The warning sounds slightly feral, and there is no mistaking the threat in it. Loki doesn't back down, though.

"Yeah, that's right," he says acidly. "Go off to brood on your own and ignore the rest of the team that helped you through the battle! We don't matter! Neither does Alex! Right, I get it now!"

Although I am inclined to agree with his statements, I'm also trying to be sensitive to what my team members need. I'm about to step forward to interfere when Ace turns around slowly. I can hear the venom drip from her voice.

"You think _I don't care?"_

Loki narrows his eyes. "You start acting like it and I'll change my mind."

Ace barely manages to contain her howl of rage and in one swift motion pulls her left sleeve up, baring her forearm. Angry red welts cover her flesh up to the elbow, staring out at us in the firelight. I can hear the quiet gasps of a lot of the team members. I can't tear my eyes away from the scars.

"You know how I got these, Loki?" she says slowly and carefully, biting off each word. "Do. You. Know?"

He shakes his head silently.

"Because I blamed myself! Because I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I could have done something in time _I could have saved her. _Because I thought I was the reason she's in this coma! And you say I don't _care?_"

I look from the girl to my nephew, and I can read the hurt written plainly on each of their faces. All of us are too shocked to move, and so Loki's next words seem to fill the still air.

"And you didn't tell me?"

Ace just looks at him, and I could swear I finally see a tear glisten in her eye. She blinks hard, though, and it's gone. She shakes her head painfully.

"I thought we were partners, Ace. _Partners_ tell each other things like this. Partners care for each other." His statement flips an invisible switch.

We all jump as Ace hurls herself at Loki, teeth bared and arms flying.

"You!" she screams. "How! Can! You! Think! I! Don't! Care?" Each word is punctuated with a strike to some part of my nephew. The hits are hard; she's not pulling punches. He blocks most of them, but doesn't fight back. The ones he can't block he takes without batting an eyelash. I start to leap forward but Banner's look stops me. _What? What does he see that I don't?_ Finally, Loki grabs hold of Ace's wrists, holding her wild attacks at bay. He brings his face close to hers.

"I can think you don't care because you refuse to cry even when it looks like Alex is stuck in her coma for good!" He spits the words out as if they leave a vile taste in his mouth. "Were emotions really trained out of you? Are you nothing but a machine, Ace?"

Her face twists and she lets out a wordless scream, kicking him hard in the chest. He stumbles backwards, the wind knocked out of him. She's at his throat again in a flash, the rain of blows coming nonstop. Still he blocks but doesn't hit back.

"Do you just run away from anything that causes you pain?" These words elicit a punch to his already bruised jaw.

"How many situations like this have you walked out of?" An elbow to his ribs.

"I'll take that as a 'many!'" A hard kick to his shoulders. I glance over at Bruce questioningly. His gaze is locked on the two. He looks worried. I'm willing to bet he didn't think it would escalate this far.

She throws a punch to his chest, but he catches it. Staring into her icy eyes, he says the words calmly. "Can you even have friends?"

It proves to be the killswitch. She breaks in his arms. They sink into a couch, Ace sobbing into Loki's chest and Loki shaking as he cries into her hair. I stare at the unlikely duo. Banner gives me a cool nod. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The rest of the team is staring in shock at the scene they'd just witnessed. I don't blame them. My nerves are still jangled. I'm amazed at how Loki knew just how far to push the girl and how he was able to take all her strikes without blinking. My nephew has certainly changed from the shy 17-year-old who came here with us to Stark Tower for the first time months ago. Now, as I look down at him with his teammate, it seems like an eternity ago.

"I- I'm sorry," Ace manages, her words muffled by Loki's shirt. He just nods and holds her tighter.

"But Alex..." she whispers.

"Shh. It's okay, Ace. It's all going to be okay." The rest of the team relaxes at his words and I can see eyes glistening throughout the room. _It's all going to be okay._ That was what we all needed to hear right now.

Later on that night, as the couples and lone wolves slowly drift off to their rooms, I find myself left alone by the embers of the fireplace. I still haven't moved from my position, and my legs are sort of begging to be stretched. I take my arms from around my knees and get up to leave, but as I start walking I see I'm not so alone after all. Loki still sits on the couch, his arms wrapped around his teammate and her arms wrapped around him. He's sort of slumped back against the arm of the couch, and the even rhythm that is their breathing lets me know they've fallen asleep like that. _Good._ They needed the rest. I look down at the unlikely team. I'd been stretching it earlier when I waved Steve back from interfering, and I was glad to see that Loki had known what he was doing.

I smile down at the teens and move to leave, but my foot (of course) hits a squeaky plank. I'm expecting Verusha to be the one to snap to attention, but instead its Loki. I guess the archery of the previous night had worn her out- she doesn't even move as he shifts positions and looks up at me.

"Hello, Doctor Banner."

"Hello, Loki."

We hold the awkward silence for a minute until I finally get the question off my chest.

"Son, what you did back there...how did you know it'd all turn out alright?"

He shakes his head. "I didn't."

"So you risked-"

"Doctor, when you are privileged enough to have Ace call you a friend, you come to know that nothing about her is ever set in stone. She'll always surprise you. I acted and told her what I thought she was doing wrong and she reacted with her honest feelings towards me at the moment."

As I listen to the quiet explanation, I realize. I realize why they're such a great team. I realize why work so well together. I realize what makes them as close to brother and sister as they can get without sharing blood. They're best friends- not in the cheesy way, but in the real way, putting themselves out there for the other to see regardless of their stained appearances or past deeds. Somehow, knowing that Loki was capable of such a friendship made me feel a lot easier about him growing close to my niece. I smile.

"Right, then. I'll see you in the morning, Loki."

"Good night, sir."


	27. IOU

**Authors' Note**: We are SO. SORRY. that we haven't updated in like three days, but this chapter would not flow right at all despite our best efforts at acquiring movie soundtracks and making coffee and...yeah. So as recompense for your patience, expect the ultimate chapter (aka epilogue) later today! Thank you SO much for staying with the story, y'all rock our socks, and stay awesome. (Also, suggestions as to making this chapter better would rock.)

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**IOU**

"You have failed me, Titan." The five words echo in the throne room, spelling certain disaster for The Destroyer. Lady Death looks into his eyes and he sees his fate written in them. He doesn't try to convince her otherwise. It won't work. The color of death flashes through his vision, and he sees no more.

"All- Father!" the messenger runs to greet them as the army comes back through the repaired Bifrost. Odin sits up straighter on his eight-legged horse.

"What is it?"

"In the treasury, sire."

He wastes no time in going to the grand room that holds the relics of the nine realms. When he approaches the pedestal that the Tesseract was taken from, the blue cube is sitting in its proper place as if nothing had happened to it. A small piece of parchment with a coin sized white skull imprinted on it rests next to it, tucked into the collar of a red giant. The piercing blue eyes glare out at the All-Father, but the horrible red mouth cannot utter a word. It's bound much the same as Loki's was when he first returned to Asgard. Odin stares down at The Destroyer. Of course he had been in league with Lady Death- where else could he have gotten access to the armies of Hel? And now that he'd failed- well, the simple fact that he is still unmoving tells the All-Father that his powers had been stripped from him, leaving him mortal and weak.

"Thanos the Destroyer," Odin begins. "You are sentenced to mete out the rest of your existence in the dungeons of Asgard as penance for your actions. Consider yourself blessed that I did not let the Avengers decide your punishment." The blue eyes lower.

"Take him away," the All-Father says.

I come down to check on Alex after breakfast. When I get to the room, however, there are three bodies inside instead of one. I open the door, a little scared for my niece, but I immediately relax as I recognise the two. Loki sleeps, bent over with his head laid on the hospital bed. Ace is draped over him, using his back as a pillow. My heart swells at the display of loyalty. Ace, startled awake by the door, sits up and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

"Oh hello, Doctor Banner."

"Hello, Ace." She winces a little as she twists her left arm the wrong way. The cuts have scabbed over by now, but still look horrible. I pinch my lips together. "You sure you don't want me to take a look at that?"

She shakes her head. "It's fine." I notice she pulls down her sleeve after that, and her eyes still bear the hollow look that lets me know she still blames herself for Alex's coma. I would have tried to comfort her, but then Loki wakes up beside her.

"Oh, hello, Doctor. How's Alex doing?"

His tone says it all- _I need to know, I have to make sure my love isn't doing any worse. She has to get better. _I bite my lip as I answer.

"It looks like she's the same as she was yesterday. I'm sorry, Loki."

His eyes are cast to the floor. "Thanks, Doctor. It's all... fine."

I nod, not bothering to try to convince him otherwise- we both know that it's not fine. So I busy myself with the medical equipment, my hands settling into the routine. No one says anything while I work, although I notice Ace's hand go to Loki's shoulder in a silent gesture of support. It's touching.

The door opens, revealing a very tired Tony Stark who seems to have aged ten years in two days.

"Time for brekkers, kids," he says to the teens, with less than his usual good humour. "I'm supposed to be kicking you out to go eat."

Loki is about to retort that he has no intention of leaving Alex, but Ace cuts him off by bodily dragging him out the door.

"Shut up, Loki. It's my job to make sure you don't kill yourself."

His protest is again curtailed by the archer.

"Don't even _think_ about it, boy. If you even take a step back there I will beat you black and blue and still haul you up to breakfast." I have to hide my smile, although it still pains me a little to see her taking such good care of her friend while not accepting most of the help offered her. I turn back to Tony, who has taken over the chair vacated by the teens. He looks up at me.

"Well, Bruce? How's my baby?"

I sigh and shake my head. "I'm sorry, Tony, but she's still out. Nothing's changed since yesterday." He nods, bowing his dark head to the covers. I hear a single phrase muttered through the sheets.

"Please wake up, baby. Please."

Before she can go back down to medical with Loki, I grab Ace's arm.

"Hey, Ace," I say. She turns her icy eyes to me. "We gotta talk." She nods and I sit her down on a nearby couch. We sit in silence for a moment, and I gather my courage up.

"So, you going to tell me what's going on?" I gesture at her arms. Direct approaches have always worked best with her. She bites her lip, and I can see her inner war mirrored in her blue eyes. _Do I tell him? He'd be worried sick. But he's my dad. But he'd be- oh, screw it all. He asked. _She settles on telling the truth. But it's not what I expected.

"I owe both of them a debt." She looks at the floor.

I don't have to ask who they are. Alex and Loki. "Why?" I ask gently. She takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I owe Alex a debt for not being able to stop Laufey in time."

"Ace, that was _not_ your fault." I say the words firmly, and hope flickers to life in her eyes before she clamps it down tightly.

"Yes it was. If I had been able to-" I cut her off with a hand on her shoulder.

"Ace, listen to me. You remember when I told you that Loki had controlled me? And then used me against my own teammates? Well, I woke up to find out that my handler had died in the attack. I hated myself for a long time after that. I know what you're feeling, but _it's not true._"

She looks in shock, and I know that she's heard me, so I let it go. She'd come to her own conclusions. A few minutes later she nods slowly and I can see that a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. She continues in a soft voice.

"You were there last night. You saw what he did. If he hadn't done that, well, I'd still be moping around by myself. I owe him for making me finally see that the team as a whole is far more important than my problems."

I nod, reliving old memories that involve Coulson telling me things similar to that. I hadn't seen until it was almost too late. Luckily my daughter had seen and understood much earlier.

She looks up to me then. "How do you repay those debts?"

I have to think about it for a minute, my mind traveling back to the mission where I'd been sent to kill a beautiful Russian woman, a deadly assassin, and I had made a different call. She'd been leery of me for a long time afterwards, still convinced she owed me a debt beyond her capacity to repay. It took her a while but she finally understood that I owed her a lot as well. It was only after saving each other's skins multiple times that we agreed to forget the past debts owed and start new, working together. Since then, neither of us has owed the other anything but their best. And it's worked.

"Sometimes you don't, Ace," I say, choosing my words carefully. "Sometimes friends- partners- cancel debts like that and just forget it. Really good partners owe each other nothing except their best." She's silent for a moment, and I can tell my words have sunk deep. Then she says something that twists my heart, so much does it remind me of the lost assassin being approached by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who'd changed his life.

"Do you think I could ever be that good for someone?"

I move closer and hug my little girl tight. "You already are, Ace, you already are."

Loki comes back down in a half hour, obviously glad to be back with Alex. He stops short as he sees Tony sprawled in the chair. He looks up at me.

"Am I interrupting something...?" I shake my head.

"You're fine."

At our voices, Tony raises his head. Loki nods silently and draws another stool over to the foot of Alex's bed. Tony looks over at him.

"So...you're here..." I almost wince at the poor conversation starter. Loki, however, doesn't blink and responds smoothly.

"As are you, Mr. Stark."

Tony nods dumbly. "I suppose we both care too much," he says bitterly. Loki frowns.

"Since when is caring too much a bad thing?" Tony rubs his bloodshot eyes.

"Since it hurts when people you care about are hurt." I know he doesn't mean it, but there's a hollow ring to his voice that tells me he just might be starting to.

"Mr. Stark, there can be no such thing as caring too much. Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that these past twelve years have not been worth waiting on your little girl for the past two days."

Tony looks up sharply, and I can practically see the biting retort forming on his tongue. But he doesn't deliver it, just sighs and puts his head back in his hands.

"I hate it when you're right. Now I feel like a horrible father," he mutters brokenly. Loki puts a tentative hand on his shoulder.

"How could you say that? Alex adores you. Have you ever seen the way her eyes light up when you're around?"

Tony looks up, and I can see something in his eyes that's never been there before. Wonder.

"How...how the _heck_ did you just do that?" Loki looks confused. Tony turns to me alarmedly. "Banner, punch me in the face. Reindeer Games just made me feel..._better._" He whirls back to Loki. "Did you slip something in my drink?"

I have to laugh as Loki calmly points out that he was down here while Tony was at breakfast, and I hide my smile as I listen to the banter between the two, a sure sign that Tony is feeling better. Who knew our enemy could have turned himself so completely around?

I'm still in the small room by the time lunch rolls around. Banner, Loki, and I have had a few interesting conversations since Reindeer Games had magically made me feel better after breakfast- I still think he drugged my coffee... I'm always looking over at Alex, half expecting her to jump up and laugh at the fact that she'd kept us fooled for so long before getting up and strutting out of the room like she owned the place. But she doesn't. Now we've run out of subject material and are just sitting here, bored. I'm really ready for this all to be over. I take her hand in mine again, making a heartfelt plea.

"Please, wake up, baby. Please. We need you here...you gotta save me from going insane..." I kiss her hand softly.

She stirs then. My heart jumps into my throat. Loki jumps up behind me and Banner looks hard at his monitors, not managing to suppress his whoop of joy. A soft moan escapes my little girl's lips, making him turn from the machines.

"Daddy..." she murmurs. Tears come to my eyes, and my heart swells. "Can we go home now?"

I choke on a chuckle. I lean forward and kiss her forehead, letting my tears fall.

"We are home, baby." I kiss her forehead repeatedly. "We are home." I don't care at this point who sees me cry. I let the salty tears come as my little girl opens her violet eyes. She looks at me the same way she did that first day when I held her. She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight, letting tears fall to the front of my shirt.

"Don't cry, Daddy. It's okay. I'm okay," she cries. I hold her tight against me.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," I mutter against her hair.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." I pull back and smile at her, tears in both our eyes.

"Welcome back, sweetie," Banner smiles.

The rest of the team comes running when they hear the news, and soon we are all crowded in the small room, laughing and crying all at once. I let Pepper have Alex next. After all, family first. But once she's done, I go over to my love. I sit on the edge of the bed, coming face to face with Alex.

"Hey, Lover Boy," she whispers. I blink back the tears and smile brightly.

"Hey."

There's nothing else to say. We just stay there, drinking in the fact that we both are alive and together again. Then something occurs to me.

"I think someone wants to say hi." I reach behind me and grab Ace's arm, bringing her over to talk to Alex. The two girls face each other, and then a silent tear starts to fall from Ace's eye.

"I'm sorry," is all she has to say. Alex looks confused. "For not being able to stop Laufey in time." Alex reaches out and puts a hand on hers, a sincere smile decorating her lips.

"It's alright." Those two simple words seem to release Ace from a mental prison, and the tears start flowing freely down her face. She smiles through her tears and Alex does the same, probably wondering since when did Ace display emotions. It's that moment, looking down at my two friends who are slowly healing, when I realize that things have kind of come full circle. I know it's not the best time for reflecting on life, but the thoughts come unbidden to my mind. I've reconciled myself with Loki Laufeyson and sent him on his way with the death of his father. I've stood by the team I'd once tried to break apart and have protected the realm that I'd once tried to destroy. I've gained friends, comrades, partners. And now I'm ready to start over again with my second chance at life.

"What's wrong, babe?" Alex asks softly. I pull my thoughts back together and smile down at her.

"Nothing." She beams back at me and I leave a kiss on her hand in the true Asgardian fashion. She grins. I remember something.

"We still have to total our kill counts," I say. "Someone has to be crowned Supreme Undead Monster Slayer."

She rolls her eyes. "You two and your stupid titles. But it'll be nice to earn my shopping trip in Paris..."

Ace scoffs beside me. "You _wish,_ Iron Ma'am."

Alex raises her eyebrow challengingly. "Two hundred and fifty eight," she says. Ace smirks.

"Two hundred and fifty _nine._"

They both turn to me. I allow myself a grin. "Three hundred and thirty six. Sorry, ladies."

Both their mouths open in shock. I shrug, not bothering to hide the smile. "I'll take the title now, if you don't mind. Making up pet names for you two is going to be _hilarious._" Behind me, Ace mutters something that sounds like,

"Stupid trolls..."

I turn to her. "What was that, nemnogo luchnik? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my awesomeness." She bristles at the Russian name. _Little archer._ I'm suddenly glad for the small amount of Russian I'd learned with Jane.

"You sound just like my dad," Alex rolls her eyes.

"And how is that a bad thing, Little Miss Mischief?" I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Mr. Stark holding his hand up for a high-five. I gladly slap his hand, finally feeling like I am part of the family.

It's been two weeks since Alex woke up, and New York is already getting back on its feet. Everyone has been healing, both physically and mentally, and we're almost back to normal. Well...I say normal. I don't bother questioning Clint when he presents his wife with a brand new polished-till-it-gleams sniper rifle wrapped in a bow, although I do hear him muttering something about 'stupid kill count challenges...' I hold in a grin and go off to call Ace Little Archer. However, normal also means Alex is back to her flirty self, and I'm beginning to feel a little inadequate around her. So now, I'm leaning up against the wall on our floor, trying to wrap my head around what I'm about to do. I don't care anymore. I need to be with her. No one waits forever, and I can't ask her to. I sigh. Uncle Steve and Mr. Stark are going to kill me.

_Maybe you shouldn't_. The little voice says.

"I can't ask her to wait any more," I say.

_She said she'd wait._

"I don't care."

_What about both of your honors?_

"I said I don't care!"

_You do care._

"I can't wait any more. I almost lost her. I need to do this. I need her."

_But-_

She walks down the hall then, cutting the little voice off. My heart speeds up as I see her. Her tight jeans hugging every curve, her shoes clicking as she walks, her fitted shirt. She looks amazing. I swallow all fear I have at that moment.

As she walks close to me, I grab her arm and pull her into the room behind me, my room. I close the door behind me.

"Loki, wha-"

I cut her off by placing my lips on top of hers. I pull her close. I need her close. She kisses back sweetly. I slowly start walking us backwards toward the wall. I push her back up against the wall, pinning her there. My tongue sweeps across her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She gladly gives it to me. Our tongues greet each other like old friends after many years apart, but I'm not about to let my guard down. She tries to get the upper hand and force me back against the wall, but as I said, she is not getting the upper hand here. Our tongues perform a war dance for dominance. She tries, but ultimately fails to win out. She's mine now.

I break away from her mouth. I place sweet kisses up her jawline and down to her neck. Her hands entwine themselves into my hair as I kiss her neck aggressively. She has a sweet spot just under her jaw, so I focus most of my attention there. She moans in satisfaction. I move my hand to rest on her leg. I gently massage her thigh making her gasp and moan again. Her moans were so sexy. I move back up to her mouth. She kisses back hungrily. She takes the chance to limit my control.

We move away from the wall, my hands settling on her hips as we walk the short distance across the floor towards the bed, but she gets greedy. We stop halfway. Her hands work quickly, undoing the buttons on my shirt. I smile under our kiss. Once open, her hands gently work their way over my newly uncovered chest. I let the shirt slide off my shoulders. I pull her closer. I let her hands explore my torso enjoying her cool touch on my warm skin. My right hand moves up her side until I reach the hem of her shirt. I take it in my hand and pull on it gently. By doing this I'm letting her know what I want. What I want to do for her, to her, with her. I'd do it for her.

She pulls away from the kiss leaving her face only inches from mine. She moves my hand back down to her hip.

"What's wrong?" I ask. "Isn't this what you wanted?" I lean down to kiss her again, but she smiles and places a finger to my lips.

"It's okay, Loki. We can wait."

I smile back at her gratefully. She'd just proved how true she is. I'd never doubted it, but this new proof makes my heart swell. It returns to its normal beating, all my nervousness gone. Unbidden, a picture of us together pops up into my mind. We could wait till the time is right. We could wait forever, as far as I'm concerned. I just need her by my side, always. And she will be. I curl a strand of her hair around my finger gently and my smile widens.

"Thank you, my Midgardian heroine."


	28. Epilogue

**Authors' Note: **We have come to that time, dear readers, where this story is at an end. We hope you have enjoyed this as much as we have. We were thinking of writing another story together. What do you think? Should we? Review this and tell us what you'd like. (read: review if you want to hear our takes on Thor and The Dark Knight Rises.) Thank you so much for all the great comments! We really love you guys! :D

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

P.S. don't forget, do you want more stories from the deep dark depths of our minds? then tell us, we'd be happy to oblige :)

**Epilogue**

They all went their separate ways a few weeks after saving the world again. As they gathered outside of Stark Tower for the last time, none of them could swear to their eyes being exactly dry. Thor and Jane went back to New Mexico to continue her research, leaving first by way of Mjolnir. Steve left on his motorcycle, determined to see more of modern-day America. As Ace was about to leave with her parents, Nick Fury approached them, offering her a position with S.H.I.E.L.D. She readily accepted, and both Hawkeye and the Black Widow smiled. A few weeks later, the top two operatives of the Russian government were 'killed in action' and S.H.I.E.L.D. received two familiar faces on their doorstep. Bruce Banner stayed behind in Stark Tower, if you can believe it. He became a 'Science Bro,' as Tony so eloquently put it, and the two spent many happy afternoons in the laboratories of the Tower. Alexandra Stark headed for college, soon rising to the top of her class in the Ivy League school, and Loki Odinson decided to go back to Asgard. A few years later, each of the original team members got a letter that went like this.

_Dear (Team Member), _

_ Congratulations, you have won a fabulous two-week stay at the home of the world-renowned genius Tony Stark. Seriously, it'll be like getting the team back together! Don't ask how I got all of your addresses, and Loki, I am extremely annoyed with you. Do you know how annoying it is to get a message to Asgard? Seriously, though. It'll be great. RSVP at Get Your Butt Over Here Right Now. _

_ Love you guys,_

_ Tony Stark_

A loud thump on the roof of Stark Tower signals the first arrival. Tony looks up, alarmed, but Pepper grins a knowing grin and opens the door to the roof.

"Hi! Hi Jane!" Pepper squeals.

"Hi, Pepper! OMG it is so great to see you again!" Jane hugs the other woman like they have been apart for a century.

"I know! It's been way too long!" Pepper says.

"That it has! I can't believe it. I've missed you soooo much."

"Aw, you too! Gosh it's great to see you!" They hug again.

Tony puts his fingers in his ears and squirms past the two ladies. Thor claps him on the shoulder, almost shoving him across the roof.

"MAN OF IRON! It is truly great to see you again!"

"Oof- yeah, great to see you too, Big Guy." Thor charges past him.

"BRUCE BANNER! You look well!"

The doctor is tackled in a bear hug that only the God of Thunder could produce.

"Whoa! Hey, hi! Nice to see you as well!"

"When shall the others assemble?"

"When they get here, Big Guy. Now let's go inside for a drink. I've a feeling I'll need it before the night's out." He pushes past the two women, still squealing, and makes a beeline for the mini bar.

Captain America is the next to arrive, announced by the loud engine of a Harley Davidson. He pulls up to the foot of the tower and the second he steps out of the elevator he's football tackled by Thor. Tony comes over to him, scraping Thor off his teammate. He clasps the Captain's shoulders.

"THANK YOU," he mouths. "I needed someone other than Big Guy," he adds in a whisper. Steve just grins and nods. Tony hands him a drink. "I think I'll promote you to CEO now, you have a certain skill for making awkward situations better."

The next two to arrive are the master assassins, who pull up in the same black Maserati they had so long ago. Tony shakes his head in wonder.

"How they can stick with one car that long is beyond me. I'd get bored," he puts in, sipping his drink. Steve just rolls his eyes. They come up the elevator and Thor tackles Clint while Steve gives Natasha a bear hug. Tony pushes them both out of the way and offers them a drink.

"Brandy?"

Natasha shakes her head, smiling. Tony nods. "Right. Vodka. I should have known."

They all chuckle. A few minutes later, they're sitting in a circle, chatting away like the old friends they are.

Alex is the next to arrive, screaming to a halt in front of the Tower in her brand new (hot pink) Lotus Evora. Of course, it's the most expensive car in the world. Steve rolls his eyes good naturedly. She flounces into the room like she owns the place, greeting everyone.

"Hey Daddy! Long time no see!" They hug tightly.

"Hello, mom! You've been shopping lately?" Pepper smiles.

"Hey, Jane. How's the research going?"

"Well, thank you. It's been great!"

"Is anyone else here?"

Tony rolls his eyes. "Loki's not here yet." Alex sticks her tongue out at him, pouring herself a drink.

A half hour of pleasant conversation later, the sky darkens and lightning begins to fork through the clouds. Thor perks up and Alex follows suit. The whole team rushes out to the roof eagerly. A funnel cloud touches down on the roof of Stark Tower, flashing blue and dissipating. Loki Odinson kneels in the middle of it. He looks up. A smile spreads across his face as he sees Alex. He stands up.

"I am Loki of Asgard!" he proclaims loudly. "And I come to Midgard burdened with glorious purpose!" After the declamation he promptly draws Alex into a long kiss.

"There, that was my business." He grins at the team. "Hello, guys!"

Tony rolls his eyes. "Again with the snogging? Hello, Loki."

"Sorry, Mr. Stark. Some things can't wait."

Thor envelops his little brother in a huge hug. "LOKI!"

Jane runs to the boy next, enveloping him into a motherly hug.

"Hi, Jane," he smiles. Steve clasps Loki on the back.

"Welcome back to Earth, Loki."

The rest of the team sounds their greetings.

They go back in after the hellos, just waiting for one more person.

"So, where's Ace these days?" Pepper asks Clint and Natasha.

"She's actually overseas," the archer replies. "You know, top-secret missions and whatnot."

"Of course. I should have known." Natasha smiles at Pepper.

"She should be here tonight, actually," her mother says.

A few hours pass, though, with no sign of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. There's no denying that the conversation is pleasant, but the team is starting to worry about Ace. The only two who aren't freaking out by the four-hour mark are her parents. The team goes to bed a little anxious that night, and during breakfast the next morning the sounds of a high octane motorcycle can be heard from the street outside the Tower. They rush to the picture windows, looking down in time to see a figure dismount from a shiny black Ducati Superbike.

"Is that...?" Loki trails off. Beside him, Alex nods.

"Think so..."

The second the black-clad figure comes out of the elevator she is met by two flying tackle hugs, one from her brother and one from the billionaire's daughter.

"ACE!" They both scream.

"You're alive!" Loki practically yells.

"You're...wearing..._what_?" Alex says, looking over the black combat suit that Ace is wearing. It's similar to her mother's- black and form-fitting. Several guns and knives are strapped to her thighs and her bow hangs from her belt. The suit has seen better days, with rips and scuffs in the fabric.

"You look like you lost a fight with the Hulk," Alex observes. Ace nods.

"Yeah, sorry about the delay...Medical wanted me in the hospital overnight. Actually, for three days...they'll be confused this morning."

Alex rolls her eyes. "Jeez, Ace, you don't let honest doctors do their work, do you?" Ace grins impishly.

"They're used to it. Nobody at S.H.I.E.L.D. ever listens to them."

"You're an idiot," Loki admonishes. Ace rolls her eyes.

"Oh, shut up Loki. Now are we going out to eat or not? Getting out of medical on an empty stomach sucks."

Loki looks at Alex, who nods. They help Ace up.

"Right, then. Let me get changed and then we can go!"

They stay out all day, letting the adults get caught up on everything that's happened since they parted ways. After a while, the original team (plus Jane and Pepper) is sitting in the living room, chatting. Eventually the topic turns to their children. Steve turns to Tony.

"So, the self-centered billionaire managed to raise an alright daughter." His tone is joking, and they all laugh. Tony nods.

"Yeah, it was a heck of a journey." He squeezes Pepper's arm lightly. "But...honestly...never again."


	29. Deleted Scenes

**Deleted Scenes**

Greetings! (Haha you thought this story was finished, didn't you? :P) So, here's how this is gonna work. All these scenes were 'deleted' for some reason, whether we thought of them after the chapters, decided they wouldn't fit or work in the chapters, or just wanted to have some fun after writing the more depressing bits of the story. We're putting little notes in front of each of them and telling y'all more about the individual scenes. Enjoy!

Warning: These scenes mostly consist of

A) pure fluff

B) pure comedy

C) pure ridiculousness

You have been warned :P

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja

**Deleted Scene #1: Bedtime Stories**

**A/N: We thought of this scene in the middle of the book, but we were already done with kid-Loki so we had to lump it in here. Prepare to sniffle a bit :)**

"What do you mean he's never had a bedtime story read to him?" Jane hisses at me one night after we had put Loki to bed. She had asked him if he wanted a bedtime story, and he had looked up at her with those adorably confused green peepers. I could practically _see_ her heart melting. She had sniffed once, and then gathered herself and tucked him in. But the very next morning she had caught me after breakfast and now I am the object of her furious questioning.

"I don't know!" I manage. "I guess on Asgard they're above that form of mortal entertainment or something!"

She sighs and rakes her hand through her hair. "Well, that is one thing that's in my power to fix." She walks to the car with a purpose, and I watch her leave. I had completely underestimated how protective she would become of Loki and his childhood innocence. She comes back soon, in time for supper, and later on after Loki was in bed she pulls up a stool beside him and draws out a book.

"Loki, this is something we do around here called a bedtime story. I have a feeling you're going to like this..." He turns his head towards her, his interest piqued. She opens the book and begins to read.

"The Runaway Bunny."

The story is a simple one, of a small rabbit who wants to run away from his mother. But every attempt he makes, she is there to get him back because she loves him so much. It's really sweet, and I don't mind admitting that I teared up a little as the mother finally convinces her son to come home to their burrow.

"'Have a carrot,' said the mother bunny."

The story ends and Jane silently shuts the book. She looks down at Loki's sleeping form, smoothes his hair, and steps out quietly. She doesn't even question why I stayed in the doorway to listen. I love her a little more for that.

Over the next few weeks, Loki gets a different story every night. We laugh our way through Dr. Seuss's jumping poetry, sit in awe as we go on adventures with King Arthur and the Knights Of The Round Table (in abridged version, thank you very much), cheer with the spectators as Ferdinand the bull stays true to himself and smells the flowers, say _Goodnight Moon_, and smile as _The Little Engine That Could_ proves all the big trains wrong and carries her load of toys over the hill for the good little boys and girls on the other side.

During the first few days, I make up some excuse for standing in the hallway as she reads, whether it's folding clothes or fiddling with the A/C controls. But when she gives me a knowing smile after the Grinch's heart grows three sizes, I give it up as a lost cause and shamelessly sit in the room as she reads to both of us little kids.

And I'll never tell the guy, but I see when Thor begins sitting outside the door where he thinks we can't see him. I guess even Norse gods need a childhood.

**Deleted Scene #2: Action Figures**

**A/N: We thought of this one early, too, and this is definitely one of the ridiculous/comedic ones ;)**

"Sir, a package for you," the mechanical British voice rings out over the breakfast table. We all look up at Tony. He grins and scoots out of his chair faster than I've seen him move in a long time. That never means good news. Shortly later he comes out of the elevator holding a medium-sized UPS box under one arm. He strolls off to his room, whistling in that oh-so-conspicuous way of his. Back at the table, the team glances warily at each other. Tony Stark, the genius billionaire, has just gotten a UPS package. Why does that seem so...scary?

Contrary to our expectations, nothing blows up, melts down, or is generally destroyed by the time lunch rolls around. The tuna sandwiches do, however, turn to dust in our mouths when the owner of Stark Tower comes down for lunch merrily, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Thor speaks up and breaks the awkward silence.

"Stark, what are you doing?"

Tony jumps back and adopts a karate stance, waving his hand crazily in something that looks more like signaling a taxi than a vicious karate chop.

"Stay back, Big Guy! Don't make me mad! I have unlimited power now and woe to those who try and stop me from doing whatever I please!"

Thor raises an eyebrow. "Man of Iron, are you certain you are not ill?"

Tony frowns and pulls out a small figure. I nearly choke on my sandwich as I realize it's a

Thor action figure. Across the table, Bruce spews his drink and tries not to laugh.

"Beware of my power!" Tony nearly screams at Thor. Thor laughs and mutters something about petty mortals under his breath. Tony holds the toy up and ceremoniously drops it in Thor's drink.

"Hey! Come now, Man of Iron! What is the meaning of this?"

"Ha! You're drowning!"

Thor looks confused and turns to Bruce for an explanation. I've honestly never seen anyone work harder to hold in laughter than when the Incredible Hulk had to explain the concept of voodoo to the Norse god of thunder.

**Deleted Scene #3: Another!**

**A/N: This deleted scene goes out to all of y'all who ever wondered if Ace could beat Thor at drinking. **

It's Ace's 18th birthday a few months after the Avengers won the battle against Thanos. She has a quiet birthday at home, with a cake that Loki and Alex tried to bake themselves and just barely finished without burning down the kitchen of Stark Tower. Luckily, Pepper catches them in time to explain that no, preheat is _not_ the right setting to bake the cake on and the dessert is saved.

"It looks like a brick with icing!" Ace crows as she takes a huge bite. Then, turning to Thor, she takes a giant handful of the icing.

"This icing! I like it! ANOTHER!" With this proclamation, she hurls it straight into the god of thunder's face. He licks it from his beard.

"I concur!" he roars, stealing a heap of icing from the top of the cake.

Later that night Thor, Tony, Loki, and Alex all sit around the coffee table with the birthday girl, watching her open the presents they got her. She opens Alex's gift first. It's a simple black compact filled with five different eye shadows, two blushes, three lip glosses, a bronzer, and eye liner. Ace's face falls as she sees it. She looks over at Alex, who is just smiling.

"I taught you how to use this, so I expect to see you girl it up a bit. I mean, we need to find you a man," she smiles. Ace just mock-glares at her.

"Thanks," she replies sarcastically, but you can see she's glad Alex remembered her. She opens Alex's dad's gift next, and squeals in delight as a set of ten brightly polished arrows appear under the packaging. Tony smiles.

"I designed these myself," he says. "They're carbon fiber shafts and there's five new disks of arrowheads. Flash-bang, smokescreen, IED, shrapnel, and tracker heads." Ace's eyes light up like a child at Christmas.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Tony!"

"You're welcome, Ace."

She opens Loki's present next. The shiny bow sits squarely in her hands. She lifts the lid revealing a slim silver charm bracelet with all things archery related. She smiles at her brother.

"I love it."

"Thought so," he grins. Alex mouths _told you so _to him when Ace isn't looking.

Then it's time for Thor's gift. It's a small box wrapped in gold paper. She tears it open, eager to find out what she could have gotten from the Norse god of thunder. When the box is open, a pure gold shot glass lies there, gleaming in the light.

"Ohhhh thank you, Thor."

"You are welcome, Lady Ace. I was of the opinion that, since you so easily bested Loki twice, you and I would have a little contest to prove who is the better at holding their liquor. I doubt a mere mortal can outlast the god of thunder!" This last is said in a challenging manner, and Ace narrows her eyes.

"You're on, Mr. Hammer."

Thor grins.

"I'm in too! I want another chance at defending my honor!" Loki interjects.

"Hey hey hey now," Tony says. "If there's any drinking to be done, let the master show you how to do it. I'm coming too."

"Very well," Thor says. "This is going to be so very entertaining. I look forward to carrying you three out of the bar on my shoulders."

"Not a chance," Ace returns, brandishing her shot glass. "You'll regret the day you ever asked to have a drinking contest with Verusha Jekaterina Wynter Barton!"

The small table in the bar holds an odd assortment of people. An extremely famous genius billionaire, a six-foot-eight Norse god of thunder, a lean ex-supercriminal who had just helped save the world, and a small five-foot-two Russian girl wrapped in a black jacket. Four shot glasses, three glass and one gold, are slammed down on the table.

"Alright, gents, here are the rules," Ace says. "It's my birthday so I get to decide the drink. We do alternate shots of tequila and vodka. No half-finished shots, no liquor held in your mouth, it all goes straight down the hatch. Last one standing carries all three losers home and gets pretty large bragging rights. We start with tequila. Ready?"

The three men nod, and Thor pours the first round of shots. They all tip their heads back, downing the liquor. Tony clears his throat, Loki looks like he's just swallowed toilet water, and Ace and Thor glare at each other over the table. Ace pours out the next round of shots from a bottle of 80 proof vodka. These, too, are drunk quickly. Tony hiccups.

Six shots later, they're all pretty mellow with the exception of the genius billionaire. He slams his glass down, sways in his chair, and promptly falls to the floor, stone drunk.

"Master of drinking?" Thor roars. The remaining three roar with laughter.

"One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!" Ace howls. She turns to Loki.

"One down," she says.

"Two to go," he responds. Thor looks indignant.

"Another!" he yells, slamming his shot glass down so hard it shakes the table. Ace obliges, pouring the next round of vodka.

Shot Fourteen. Loki barely tops his last record, finishing the fifteenth shot (tequila, thank you very much) before he tips forward, halfway sprawled on the table and almost spilling the bottle of vodka. Thor catches it with a hand that's just starting to shake.

"Glad you caught that," Ace grins. "Waste of good vodka." Thor grins, pouring the next two shots.

Somewhere between the sixteenth and seventeenth shot an argument breaks out between the two remaining contestants. They stand up from the table, swaying, and prepare to defend their honor. Thor's first punch falls short and Ace rushes in to take advantage of the opening, but trips and falls on the floor instead. By now, the bartender has come running over, calming the angry Norse god down and coolly suggesting that he take himself and his friends home. He picks a very drunk Ace up from the floor and she staggers over to Thor appreciatively.

"I still don' know if you're really the god of thunder..." she slurs. "But you sure drink like him!"

Thor roars with laughter. "And thou art a lass who can hold her drink remarkably well!" They lean against each other, howling and shaking in their merriment. The Norse god leans down, picking up the snoring genius billionaire and putting him on his right shoulder while he throws his brother over his left. This leaves Ace, who gleefully climbs up onto the bar and settles herself on top of Thor's shoulders. Thus burdened, our Asgardian hero staggers out of the bar, glad that Loki taught his small companion a proper Asgardian drinking song. They take alternate lines, yelling the words at the top of their lungs as they move down the street.

Halfway through its second repetition, Ace throws up her arms in an exaggerated gesture of joy and flops down over Thor's head, snoring gently. Thor crows out a laugh and staggers on homeward, still roaring the lines of the drinking song in the true Asgardian fashion.

**Deleted Scene #4: The Perfect Date**

**A/N: Remember these lines? **

"**You owe me big-time."**

"**One perfect date. That's what I owe you, and I never let a debt go."**

**Answer: Alex and Loki, chapter 21. So here's how he repaid her ;) This scene is best read with Brian McKnight's 'Back At One' playing (for even perfect-er timing, push play right as Alex and Loki enter the restaurant ^.^)**

Valentines Day. The perfect day to enact the plan I've been saving for a while. I'd been scheming for this ever since I had started owing Alex 'the perfect date.' And now it is time to finally put it all into action. First, I need to see if she'll actually go out tonight. I try not to raise suspicion as I casually stroll into her room. Women, however, are _not_ easy to fool. As soon as I walk in she raises her head from the magazine she's reading and asks what I'm up to.

"What? Me? Nothing..." I say, trailing off in a very conspicuous way. "Just wanted to see if you were up for going out tonight."

She raises an eyebrow, but before she can respond an extremely hyper Ace bounces into the room.

"!" Alex nods slowly.

"What?" I ask, thoroughly confused by the flow of words strung together. Ace rolls her eyes at me.

"Y'know, for the god of silver tongues you really can't hear well." She lifts herself up on tiptoe and yells down my ear. "Thor showed me how he likes his coffee and it's really great and you should try some!"

"Augh! Don't- don't- don't make any more noises," I say, holding my head in my hands.

She ignores me, bouncing off out of the room with a gleeful shout of "Happy Valentines Day, you two!"

"Isn't it Singles' Awareness Day for you?" Alex screams after her. She pokes her head back in.

"Noooope. I finally found me a 'man.'"

Alex's face shows complete and utter disbelief. Ace holds up her quiver.

"Okay yeah, I didn't. You know I'm married to my work!" She skips off down the hall, singing something that sounds suspiciously like that drinking song that has become Thor and her favorite thing to sing. I turn back to Alex.

"So. You, me, tonight. We on?"

"Oh, I don't know..." she says with a smile. "I might have a previous engagement."

I grin at her. Two can play the game of being irritating. "I'll be waiting outside the Tower at six, then," I say, winking and walking out.

"You just assume I will drop everything for you?" she calls after me.

"Why not?" I call over my shoulder.

"You are a lot of work, Loki Matthew Keaton Odinson."

"But I'm sooo worth it!"

I smooth my short gold bubble dress for the millionth time, walking into the old cafe with my boyfriend. It's great- all vintage decorations and everything old style. There's even a jukebox playing the golden oldies in a corner. I gasp.

"It's perfect!"

Loki grins. "Knew you'd like it."

We go up to the counter and order one of those old school soda floats, sipping it through two straws like you see in all the vintage pictures. Once we're done we talk, the conversation flowing easily between us. At a break in the conversation, Loki reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little jewelry box.

"Oh, Loki! You didn't have to get me anything!"

He smiles. "It _is_ Valentine's Day. Go on, open it!"

I do, and my face falls slightly as I see what's in it. An ancient quarter- slightly green on one edge, stares back at me. I lift it out.

"Okay..."

He takes the box, sliding it back into his pocket and standing up. He pulls me over to the jukebox.

"Choose a dance," he says. My heart swells. _Do I not have the best boyfriend in the whole universe?_ I put the quarter in the jukebox and choose the song I want to dance to. Back At One by Brian McKnight. The gentle piano intro starts up, and Loki leads me out onto the dance floor. The dim lights are enough to see each other, and that's all we care about. We hold each other and sway on the floor, each enjoying the familiar feel of the other. For the next four minutes, I feel like I'm flying. It's a different sort of flying, not at all like the feel of my suit, and I love it.

The dance ends, and I'm still floating as he leads me out of the restaurant and down the sidewalk. The sidewalk hardly seems to be there and I barely notice as he pulls me through the same bushes I pulled him through so long ago when he turned into a frost giant for the first time. I only come back to earth when the smell of the pink tree greets my nose.

"I figured you'd like it," he says, hugging me tight. "After all, we do have quite a history with this place."

I hug him back, not wanting to ruin the moment with a reply. The moon lights the clearing softly, and we just stand there with each other.

_Thud._

The sound makes my ears perk up, and I look up to see pink petals falling in a rain around us. One of Ace's arrows sits in the tree, having passed through the branches before coming to rest. A note is attached to it, written in her handwriting. It has the initials AS and LO inside a heart. We can hear the soft rustle of branches in the forest behind us as she makes her way back to the open, leaving us truly alone together. I look back at the note. It must be her little way of apologising for coming in on our moment earlier. Loki chuckles softly.

"There's my little sister," he says. "So?"

"So?" I ask.

"How did I do? Is this your perfect date?" he asks.

"Hmm... No, not quite." I smile.

His face falls a little. _Oh, you perfectionist._

"Kiss me," I prompt. He grins and sweeps me low, planting a kiss on my lips. I kiss back happily. He pulls away moments later. "Perfect." I say.

**Deleted Scene #5: Christmas Shopping**

**A/N: The idea for this deleted scene came up after both of us had finished consuming copious amounts of sugar...so...be warned :P**

Christmas. The magical season of giving. Of course, that's _after_ you know what to give. And for the motley team of superheroes living in Stark Tower, that is anything but easy.

"Honey, I need to do some holiday shopping," Pepper says to Tony one morning over breakfast. Jane, Alex, and Natasha light up like the Christmas tree the team had put up earlier. (Speaking of which...Who knew the Hulk could be set off by being wrapped in layers of light strings...?)

"Shopping?" They all ask at the same time. Tony puts his head in his hands. Thor puts a brotherly hand on his back.

"It is alright, Man of Iron. I am sure it will not be too painful."

"That's a great idea!" Jane gushes. "Why don't you come too?"

Tony glares at Thor. "Now you've done it, Big Guy."

"...do we all have to come?" Loki's voice comes from the couch he's settled on. Pepper turns to him.

"Oh, yes! That's brilliant!"

"YOU IDIOT!" Ace screams from behind the counter, and Loki is rewarded with a croissant to the face, hard.

Three hours later, we've all been dragged into the mall to do our 'holiday shopping.' We split up into teams of two or three- Ace and I, Uncle Steve, Thor, and Mr. Stark, Jane and Alex, Clint and Doctor Banner, and Pepper and Natasha. Ace is still glaring daggers at me as we walk off in the general direction of nowhere.

"APPLE STORE!" she screams. I look up, not interested. "Really expensive electronics that they set out and let us play on," she explains.

"Let's go!" I say, my curiosity piqued. She leads me off, stopping briefly to look at a mall map that reminds me a lot of the maps Alex put in our training scenarios...But anyway. We round a corner, and there it stands in all its white, glossy glory. My mouth drops open at the sheer amount of _electronics_ everywhere. I walk under the doorway in a daze, eager to get my hands on the shiny gadgets. I try out iPads, iPhones, iPods, iMacs, iAnythings! I'm enraptured! Why don't we Asgardians have anything like this?

Everything is going perfectly, until Ace tugs on my sleeve. Of course, I should have told her that _no, the secure network of the Apple Store is not for demonstrating one's hacking skills,_ but I'm too captured by the scrolling text as she furiously types commands into the iMac. She soon steps back, proudly clicking through the records of business transactions and employee salaries. I'm beginning to get a vague impression of wrongdoing, which is only confirmed as I feel a heavy hand close around my arm. I gulp and look up into the glare of a security guard. I give him a sheepish grin and offer a simple,

"We just wanted to see if we could do it..."

_How do I ever get myself into these situations?_ Somehow, I get stuck with Steve and Thor. _Was I asleep? _Whatever. I need to remember to kill my family later.

Thor bumps my shoulder companionably, nearly sending me crashing into the fountain. He looks apologetic.

"I am sorry, Man of Iron. You...weigh a lot less without your suit." I roll my eyes. _Really?_

"Whatever. Okay, so we're headed somewhere I _know_ you'll like," I say, rubbing my hands together. Just because I'm stuck with them doesn't mean I can't have a little fun.

"Uh, Tony? Are you okay? You look like an evil mastermind..." Steve says.

"Ever hear of Aeropostale?" I call over my shoulder, walking off.

"Uh...no?" Steve says, catching up. I grin.

"You'll love it, Capsicle. It's so _you_."

We walk along in silence until we reach the store. As usual, there is the shirtless model in front making women swoon. I throw him a clicking wink as I walk past, and he mock-salutes me.

"Mr. Stark."

We pass him and enter the store. Thor wrinkles his nose.

"This establishment reeks!"

"I like it. Very manly. You should buy some, Thor. It would make Jane swoon and fall head over heels for you. She'll be unable to resist the new you. You, my friend, will have an amazing holiday," I wink. Thor looks happy, and leaves to look over the cologne. _One down, one to go._ I walk over to Steve and find him looking in horror at the women's section.

"Since when did dames get this bold?" he asks. I roll my eyes, dragging him to the front of the store.

"You think that's bold? Look across the way there." I point out the store across the way, which just so happens to be a Victoria's Secret. He looks away quickly.

"Really, Stark?"

"What? It's true. I mean I know of at least three women who wear that," I say.

"Oh, really? Who?"

"Jane, Pepper, and Alex."

Judging by the look he gives me, I'm pretty sure I've scarred him for life. _Congrats Tony!_

At first I was a little skeptical of being with Jane, but after a few, I love it! She's just an older version of me! It's great! We both decided to go to our favorite store in the whole mall, Victoria's Secret. This is going to be epic!

We walk and talk, and I feel like I have gotten to know the woman more in the past five minutes than I ever got to back at the Tower. The stores seem to pass without us noticing, but then...

"Hel-LO," I smile. Across the way, in front of Aeropostale, is the shirtless model guy. I motion for Jane to look and she does.

"What is it, Ale- whoa!" I take her arm and walk us over to him.

"Hi," I say flipping my hair. He smiles.

"Hello, Iron Ma'am."

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" I ask with a large smirk.

"Yeah, just a little. Is it true that you always carry your suit around in your purse?"

I place my finger to his lips. "I'll never tell," I wink. He grins under my finger. I motion Jane forward. She does, and in the process, she booty bumps me out of the way.

"I'm Jane," she says. Her smile is so cheesy, but it's adorable. The flirting between the two is actually sickening. I wonder if this is how Ace feels when Loki and I flirt? I don't think I'll ever begrudge her another fake vomit. Jane's actually getting on pretty well, but then...

"IS THIS A CHALLENGE, INSOLENT MIDGARDIAN?"

The combination of Jane's suddenly-scared face and the sight of an angry demigod storming out of Aeropastle with a bag slung on each arm is enough to make Mr. Perfect Body take a step or two or three back. Thor goes up to him, leaving only a few inches between him and Mr. Perfect Body, Thor easily towering over the slight model.

"I SAID, IS THIS A CHALLENGE? DO YOU DARE FIGHT ME FOR THE HAND OF THE MAIDEN?"

"Dude, no. It was nothing, just a little flirting. She's all yours, dude," the model says holding his hands up in defence.

Before things can escalate further, Jane rolls her eyes before grabbing my arm and pulling me towards our final destination. The store is full of color and lace, perfect for a couple of girls like us. A lady in all black who definitely works here comes up to us.

"Do you need any help? A fitting maybe?" she asks.

Jane looks at me and shrugs.

"Why not?" Jane responds.

The lady takes the tape measure from around her neck and measures Jane's bust.

"You should be looking for a 32C. Would you like a push-up?" she asks.

"Sure! Do her fitting first," Jane says pointing to me. _This should be good. _I already know that I'm a C, so why do we need to measure?

"Sure thing, honey," the southern woman says. She takes the tape and measures me.

"Oh, no. This can't be right," she says. She looks at the tape again. "Sweetie, you are a 34 triple D."

"What?" I ask. Jane looks at me with a new respect.

"Loki has good taste," she says, nodding her head.

"Do you want a push-up?"

"Sure!"

Jane and I spend the next few hours trying different styles, colors, and fabrics on. We end up spending a few hundred each on only four bras and a couple pairs of... well, I guess we could leave that up to your imaginations.

After the little incident at Aeropostale, I take Thor and Steve over to the first store I see to calm down. It so happens to be Ace Hardware. Thor shakes his head in wonderment as we enter.

"Lady Ace owns a whole store?"  
"Umm... Sure! Let's go with that," I respond. "Let's take you to see the...hammers..."

His face lights up. "Hammers?"

"Yep, Big Guy. Hammers."

I lead him over to the many trays of hammers. His face falls.

"What are these? Useless shards of metal! They cannot compare to Mjolnir's power!"

"They are used to hammer in nails, not as weapons for defending the earth. This is what we call hammers down here."

"You little Midgardians are so petty and boring."

I roll my eyes. _No, really. Kill me._

I stop before going into the large sports store with our resident archer. It's got everything a guy like him could ever want- from MMA hand wraps to elaborately strung compound bows. Unfortunately, I am not a guy like him. Give me test tubes and computers any day. But I'd already dragged him through the many halls of Fry's Electronics (we'd had to skip the Apple Store because of the security guards ringed around the place- I don't even want to know...) so I figure I owe the guy one. He was remarkably patient (in uninterested) through the whole store, only pausing to mention something to the effect of the PC guts reminding him of a bomb he'd had to defuse once. He is a sniper, though, I remind myself. Of course he's patient. So now, I trail behind him as he makes a beeline for the archery department. I sigh. _I should have known._ I prepare myself for a very long while of staring at bows. If he could wait through my computer geekery I can wait through his archery obsession.

I walk with a world-class assassin through the floors at Macy's. Believe it or not, this is not the weirdest thing I've ever done. _Note to self: I should write a memoir of my life as Tony Stark's PA-turned-wife. It'd be interesting reading._ I briefly consider asking Natasha if she'd ever write a memoir but then I remember that her file is probably 99.99999% redacted even from the government, so I decide against it. By now, we're at the shoes and I go to the high-end expensive brand name section while she heads off to the clearance. I roll my eyes. Eventually, though, my curiosity gets the best of me and I go over to where she's standing.

"Hey, Natasha, we don't have to shop over here, you know." I pull out Tony's credit card (Yes, I pinched it again. Don't judge.) and wave it in front of her face. She just grins and holds up a pair of drop-dead _gorgeous_ black stilettos. They're _so _her. My jaw drops as she smiles.

"Not all the good shoes are over there, Pepper. And I'll bet these are about .0001% the price of _those,_" she says, pointing at the Christian Louboutin heels I've got under my arm. I laugh ruefully.

"Of course they are. Go ahead, try those on," I urge her. "They look good." She complies, and they look even better when she's wearing them. I raise my eyebrows meaningfully. "I bet Clint would love you forever if you bought those." She chuckles and takes one off, holding it up to inspect the underside. She frowns a moment later.

"Nope, not for me." With that observation she pulls off the other one and puts them carefully away. I catch her hand as she's about to slide the box back onto the shelf.

"Whoa whoa whoa there. Those shoes are perfect for you! And they're only-" I check the price tag. My mouth drops. "-_ten_ dollars." She still shakes her head, though. I roll my eyes. "Why not?"

"There is no way in _heck_ that I'm going to be able to fit a boot knife into the bottom of _that._" I smack my head against the wall. She walks off, her resolve set. I snag the box back off the shelf. She's bound to notice- after all, she is trained to notice details- but leaving these shoes behind would be a _crime._ And hey, maybe I could get Tony to figure out some sort of knife hookup for them. Just a perk of living with a genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist. I catch up with her, hiding the orange box under all the other bags I have.

"So, where next?" I keep my tone light. She looks over at me and I'm pretty sure she sees the box but she doesn't say a word.

"Perfume, I think," she says, pointing in the general direction. I nod. _Let it never be said that Pepper Stark does not look after her friends._

Quite a few hours later we are all sitting around a blazing fire, gentle Christmas music coming from Jarvis's speakers, drinking mugs of hot cocoa. We'd managed to get out of the mall (mostly) unscathed, excluding the snowball fight on the way home. Then came the hour of hermitage where we all scrambled to wrap our surprises for tomorrow's unwrapping extravaganza. Then we'd all met up out here for snacks after a successful day. The teens are sleeping on the couch, all draped over each other in a snoring heap. Thor and Jane snuggle in a blanket, the Asgardian acting as a portable heater. Clint and Natasha sit back-to-back in front of the presents, bantering back and forth about what's probably inside them. Bruce and Steve stare into the fire, each lost in their own train of holiday thoughts. And Tony and I recline in a Lazy Boy, stealing sips of cocoa from each other's cups. The newly put up Christmas tree glows brightly, and the stockings are all hung by the chimney. Jane and I are planning to fill them later on, and we both hope that some of the more daring Avengers don't set a trap for 'Santa' and end up capturing us instead. Really, I wouldn't put it past them. My eyes travel the assorted stockings, noting the differences in each and laughing quietly to myself at each one. Thor's is big and woolly, decorated with Nordic patterns and skiers. Jane's is the traditional red and white. Clint's is actually a spare quiver of his. Natasha's is a plain black and looks suspiciously like the air bladder of a speed bag. Bruce's is a knit green, and Steve's is embroidered with the Stars and Stripes. Ace's is a black-and-white checked stocking. Loki's is a gold trimmed green. And of course, Alex's is a hot pink trimmed with the traditional fur. Mine is purple and chocolate brown, courtesy of Tony. His is a traditional red and white, but, as a joke, he'd attached a ball of blue lights to the middle of it. I take in the whole scene again, enjoying the feeling of The Avengers' first Christmas. Sure, we are a motley team, but we are a family.

**Deleted Scene #6: World War III**

**A/N: Judging from your reactions to Tony trying to break Alex and Loki apart, we figured y'all liked them together. This one goes out to all you Alex/Loki fans! **

I walk into the meeting room and find Pepper, Mr. Stark, Doctor Banner, Jane, Thor, and Uncle Steve. Just who I wanted to speak to. They all look up as I enter. I take a seat on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table, facing them.

"I need to speak with you all," I say. I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I say the words. _Get a hold of yourself. You need to do this_.

"What is it, Loki?" Pepper asks.

"I-" I take a deep breath. "I would like to ask Alex to marry me," the words come out in a rush. I look up to them all looking back at me in disbelief.

"Ha haha hahaha. Nice one, Loki. You seriously had me going there for a minute," Mr. Stark says. I knew he wouldn't believe my words, so I pull out a velvet box from my pocket, flip open the top, and set it on the table in front of them. The ring stares up at them. The 3.5ct diamond shines happily in the silver placement with three smaller diamonds on either side, the trinity symbol engraved on the inside of the ring.

"It's beautiful!" Jane and Pepper gush. "Alex is going to love it!"

Thor places a hand on my shoulder. "I am proud of you, Loki. Alex will be happy to marry such a fine young man." I smile. Mr. Stark, Uncle Steve, and Doctor Banner say nothing. After a minute, they all have something to say.

"Well, I'm sorry you wasted your money on this nice ring, but you will not be asking my daughter to marry you," Mr. Stark says.

"Loki, you are too young to get married. It's way too soon," Uncle Steve comments.

"They're right," Doctor Banner adds. I look them all in the face.

"With all due respect, sirs, I was asking for your blessing," I say. "I was _not_ asking for your permission." They all look as if they are about to snap and kill me, but when Alex and Ace walk in, they stop. I put the ring back in my pocket just in time.

"Ummm... Loki, are you ready to go?" Alex asks.

"Yeah," I say standing.

"Loki, don't do anything. We'll talk later," Uncle Steve says. I nod before leaving with the girls.

We all stop at a park bench ice cream in hand. Ace is to my left and Alex on my right. We haven't said much to each other since leaving the Tower.

"Are you going to tell me?" Alex asks.

"Tell you what?" I respond.

"What just happened?" she replies.

"It was nothing," I say. I can't tell her, not now.

"That was _not_ nothing. It was like World War Three in there. My dad was about to fly across the table and kill you. What happened?" I look over at Ace. She knows what I've been planning, and right now, I could use some help. She just shrugs.

"Alex," I say placing an arm around her shoulders. "Really it was nothing."

"I don't believe you," she says. I sigh.

"I can't tell you, not yet. It's a surprise," I whisper in her ear.

"Loki-"

"I just need you to trust me on this," I say. She nods finally. A quick kiss ends the conversation, Ace making gagging noises behind me.

"Loki, really? You haven't been together that long," Uncle Steve says.

"It's been two years, Uncle Steve."

"That's not that long," Mr. Stark remarks.

"I really want to do this. Why can't you just be on my side?" I ask. Uncle Steve sighs.

"She's my little girl, I don't have to be on your side on anything," Mr. Stark says.

"You want her to be happy, don't you?" I ask. He opens his mouth to say something, but quickly closes it.

"Yes," he finally says.

"She's happy with him, honey. Just give the boy your blessing," Pepper says. It's nice to have her on my side.

"But-"

"No! Would you risk your daughter hating you for not giving the man she loves your blessing to marry her?" she ask. _Go Pepper_.

"Fine..." he says. "But I won't like it..."

"Just don't tell her that. You know how she feels about pleasing you." He nods. Two down. Doctor Banner previously agreed to let me ask Alex, only because he wanted what was best for her. I turn to Uncle Steve.

"Is this really what you want?" he asks.

"It is," I say.

"Then..." he begins slowly. "You have my blessing." I smile.

I lean back a little as Loki pulls me along, his long fingers wrapped around my wrist. I recognise the route he's taking us, but he's never been this excited to get there before.

"Loki, what's going on? What has gotten into you?" I ask. He doesn't answer. We finally break through the trees to our spot. He takes me in his arms, like always, and holds me there.

"I love you, babe," he whispers against my hair.

"I love you too, Loki," I respond.

"Promise me, you'll always be happy by my side."

"Loki-"

"Promise me, Alex," he says, pulling away to look into my eyes. His emerald eyes are sort of wild, but with what emotion I can't tell.

"I promise," I smile.

He steps away from at that moment. I stare back at him in confusion. His hand slips into his pocket, pulling out a small box. It reminds me of the one that held the coin on our perfect date. I smile. He takes a deep breath before going down on one knee. My breath catches in my throat. The box lid flips open. A 3.5ct diamond shining happily in the silver placement with three smaller diamonds on either side smiles back at me.

"Alexandra Megan Hope Stark, will you marry me?" he asks. I can't speak, so I just nod, tears in my eyes. He stands up, that Loki smirk on his face. Ever so gently he slips the ring onto my finger. My tears fall from my eyes as Loki holds me close.

"I thought you would never ask," I say, looking at my ring. It was perfect. He was perfect. Everything was perfect.

**Authors' Note:** End of Deleted Scenes. Yes, we said end. *tear* However, we heard that y'all want more one-shots, so we're opening the suggestion board! If there's anything you'd like to see this set of characters do, look down to #4 on Also Coming for details. So now this story will be wrapped up for good. But... (as they say in those annoying ads) Hang on! There's more!

**Also coming to you from this same writing team: **

1. More superhero goodness! Our take on _Thor_. Featuring Loki, Thor, Odin, Lady Sif, The Warriors Three, and two original characters who are just as fiery and headstrong as Ace and Alex. So far untitled and unknown when to be released, just know we are indeed working on it.

2. Taking a break from Marvel... DC's _The Dark Knight Rises_ was _absolutely amazing._ So amazing, in fact, that we decided to write a fanfiction to it. Featuring Batman, Bane, Alfred, Catwoman, Robin, Robin's nephew (an OC), and (again) two strong female OC's. (If you haven't already gotten the picture...well...let's just say pretty much every story we dish out will have two new girls :P) Another untitled manuscript, although it'll probably be out before our _Thor_ fic.

3. Well, J3ntheninja didn't want to say goodbye to _The Avengers_ just yet. Head on over to her profile in a few weeks to catch 'Fourteen Days,' the (unabridged) story of everything that went on in the two weeks Loki and Ace were in Stark's virtual reality program. Featuring two of your favorite Avengers, a digitised female computer voice, adrenaline shots, many bullets, and lots of pink targets. She'll be mainly writing it but DeadMan'sHand702 is going to help so have no worries.

4. So, we heard that you guys wanted more one-shots. We'll give them to you! Simply go on over to J3ntheninja's profile, click on the 'Never Again One-Shots' story, read the prologue, and hit us up with a review! Updates will vary with requests and inspiration ;)

**Quick shoutout: **The talented CaptainAmericaGirl9431 is writing a spin-off of Never Again, featuring our lovely cast of characters. We're pumped to read it, and advise you all to go check it out!

Again, so very many thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favorited/followed/loved/supported this story! WE LOVE Y'ALL. Cookies to each and every one of you. And we look forward to writing more for you guys.

As always,

-DeadMan'sHand702 & J3ntheninja


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